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Antibiotics in the community: a typology of user behaviours

Hawkings, Nancy Jane, Butler, Christopher Collett ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0102-3453 and Wood, Fiona Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7397-4074 2008. Antibiotics in the community: a typology of user behaviours. Patient Education and Counseling 73 (1) , pp. 146-152. 10.1016/j.pec.2008.05.025

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Abstract

Objectives To contribute to achieving a deep understanding of lay beliefs about antibiotics and develop atypology of antibioticuserbehaviours in the community. Method Qualitative semi-structured interview study with 32 women and 14 men, selected by both purposive and theoretical sampling, from areas of high, average and low deprivation. Results Respondents were highly confident about the efficacy and safety of antibiotics. Reported respondent antibioticuserbehaviours fell into six types, those that: (1) always took antibiotics as prescribed; (2) could not take doses because of work, child care, or social constraints; (3) frequently forgot doses; (4) believed it made sense to stop taking antibiotics as they started to get better; (5) actively sought to limit antibiotic use because they believed their own bodies became used to them or because antibiotics are ‘unnatural’; and (6) deliberately planned to stop early so as to have an antibiotic supply for self use in the future to avoid the challenges of consulting and obtaining antibiotics in primary care. Conclusion Members of the public are confident about the safety and efficacy of antibiotics. Most report taking antibiotics as prescribed, but there is a range of other unintentional and intentional characteristic non-adherent behaviours that require different solutions. Practice implications Promoting public engagement in the control of bacterial resistance through adherence to antibiotic regimes requires some interventions that address beliefs, others addressing forgetfulness, and others addressing practical barriers to adherence.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Medicine
Systems Immunity Research Institute (SIURI)
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Qualitative research; Adherence; Typology; Community; Antibiotics; Containing antibiotic resistance
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 0738-3991
Last Modified: 20 Oct 2022 08:02
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/27004

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