Abstract
Abstract Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics has become a global phenomenon. Inappropriate use of antibiotics is recognized as a leading cause of antibiotic resistance. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding to antibiotic use among Libya population. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done online through Google forms from April to December 2020. Questionnaire was sent to general population across Libya by sharing link through popular social media groups. Results: A total of 1600 responses were received from different cities across Libya. The average age of respondents were 30.53 years and 71.4% of respondents were female. The study revealed that only 68.7% (n = 1099) of the response had high knowledge; on the other hand, about 31.3% (n = 501) of the response had low knowledge about the antibiotics. This study showed that 57.6% (n= 922) of the response had correct practice using antibiotics, and 42.4% (n= 678) of the response had incorrect practice using antibiotics. Only 32.1% (n = 513) of the response was found to have a good attitude; in contrast, 67.9% (n = 1087) of the response had a bad attitude toward antibiotics used. The majority of the participants 68.7% consumed antibiotics during the past year, 35% of participants consumed antibiotics without a medical prescription. The most common reason for usage was the common cold. Conclusion: This study provides a baseline of the knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding antibiotics among the Libya community. Our population has sufficiency level in their knowledge toward antibiotic uses; expressed poor attitudes, as well as many had bad practices of antibiotics use. This finding will be useful in designing effective and targeted interventions to decrease misconceptions about antibiotic use and to increase awareness about the risks of inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community. Keywords: Knowledge, Practice, Attitude, Antibiotics, Libyan community