Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{189390,
        author = {Deepak vishwakarma and Dr Nisarg Pandya},
        title = {AN EXAMINATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING, PERCEPTIONS, AND BEHAVIORS RELATED TO ANTIBIOTIC USAGE AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN SOUTH GUJARAT},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {7},
        pages = {5888-5893},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=189390},
        abstract = {Background: The improper use of antibiotics has contributed significantly to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a significant worldwide public health concern. As future professionals and powerful members of society, university students are a crucial demographic for evaluating antibiotic usage awareness and habits.
The current study's objectives were to evaluate South Gujarat university students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about antibiotic usage and antimicrobial resistance, as well as to look at how these factors related to their academic fields.
Methods: 401 students from a private institution in South Gujarat, India, participated in cross-sectional analytical research. Data on sociodemographic traits and knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about antibiotic usage and AMR were gathered using a standardized, self-administered questionnaire. Students were divided into two groups: non-medical (science and administration) and medical and paramedical (pharmacy, nursing, and ayurveda). The data was summarized using descriptive statistics, and relationships between field of study and KAP levels were evaluated using the chi-square test, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05.
Result: Most students showed low to moderate understanding of the usage of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. Knowledge (p = 0.045) and attitude (p < 0.001) were shown to be statistically significantly correlated with field of study, with medical and paramedical students showing more knowledge and more favorable attitudes than non-medical students. The topic of study and antibiotic-related habits, however, did not significantly correlate (p = 0.134). Both groups often engaged in inappropriate behaviors including self-medication and early antibiotic termination.
Conclusion: University students frequently used antibiotics inappropriately, even if medical and paramedical students had better attitudes and understanding. These results emphasize the necessity of thorough, university-wide behavioral and instructional initiatives to reduce antimicrobial resistance and encourage sensible antibiotic usage.},
        keywords = {Antimicrobial Resistance, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Drug Utilization, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice, Students},
        month = {December},
        }