Public knowledge and perception about antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance in Japan: A national questionnaire survey in 2017

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 11; p. e0207017
• Main Authors: Kamata, Kazuhiro, Tokuda, Yasuharu, Gu, Yoshiaki, Ohmagari, Norio, Yanagihara, Katsunori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05.11.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adults; Age; Antibiotics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Attitudes; Biology and Life Sciences; Censuses; Common cold; Computer and Information Sciences; Disease control; Drug resistance; Global health; Health care; Health risks; Hospitals; Infectious diseases; Knowledge; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; People and Places; Perception; Perceptions; Physicians; Population; Public awareness; Questionnaires; Social Sciences; Studies; Viruses; United States > US; Europe; Japan; Okinawa; Poland; Italy; Germany
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207017
• ISSN: 1932-6203

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to global health. To increase public awareness about AMR and encourage the prudent use of antimicrobials is one of the goals of the National Action Plan in Japan. A nationwide online cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the existing knowledge and perception of AMR in Japan, based on the Antimicrobial Resistance Eurobarometer Survey. Participants included Japanese adults aged 20-69 years, who were not medical professionals. Among a total of 3,390 participants, about half had taken antibiotics over the past 12 months, and majority of them obtained the antimicrobials from healthcare institutions for the common cold. While 11.7% of the participants kept leftover antibiotics, 23.6% of them have adjusted doses by themselves. About 10% of the participants have requested antibiotics from their doctors, and nearly 30% of them preferred doctors who prescribed antibiotics when had a cold. The common informational sources were TV news and newspapers, and more than 40% of the participants reported receiving some information over the past year. However, approximately 80% of the participants did not know that antibiotics do not kill viruses and that antibiotics are ineffective against cold and flu. Not many Japanese have adequate information about antimicrobials and AMR, and many have taken antimicrobials inappropriately. Greater educational interventions are, therefore, necessary to increase public awareness and develop effective countermeasures against AMR in Japan.