title: Use of antibiotics by urban and rural residents in Heilongjiang Province, China: cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify and compare the factors affecting the knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics between urban and rural residents in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3631 urban and rural residents in Heilongjiang Province, China, were selected using random sampling. Questionnaires recorded demographic characteristics and participant knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics. The responses of rural and urban residents were compared, and logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the factors that may contribute to the knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the participants (>60%) were aware that antibiotics could be used to treat bacterial infections and that bacteria could be resistant to antibiotics. However, only roughly half (40-60%) of the participants were aware that bacterial resistance to antibiotics had become a problem in China. Urban participants reported a more adequate knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics than rural participants. Logistic regression analysis indicated that urban residency, female gender and level of education were associated with knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within our sample in Heilongjiang Province, the knowledge of, attitude towards and use of antibiotics were suboptimal in roughly half of all urban and rural residents, but better in urban than in rural residents. Targeted interventions to educate rural residents in particular may reduce the misuse of antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Jiarui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Jizi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yuzhuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.|Wu Lien-Teh Institute, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.|Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Fengmin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.|Wu Lien-Teh Institute, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.|Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yingmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001364:Awareness; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: China; antibiotic resistance; antibiotics; public health; rural health care; urban health care