title: Public Beliefs about Antibiotics, Infection and Resistance: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of public views and ways of talking about antibiotics. Four focus groups were held with members of the public. In addition, 39 households were recruited and interviews, diaries of medicine taking, diaries of any contact with medication were used to explore understanding and use of medication. Discussions related to antibiotics were identified and analyzed. Participants in this study were worried about adverse effects of antibiotics, particularly for recurrent infections. Some were concerned that antibiotics upset the body's "balance", and many used strategies to try to prevent and treat infections without antibiotics. They rarely used military metaphors about infection (e.g., describing bacteria as invading armies) but instead spoke of clearing infections. They had little understanding of the concept of antibiotic resistance but they thought that over-using antibiotics was unwise because it would reduce their future effectiveness. Previous studies tend to focus on problems such as lack of knowledge, or belief in the curative powers of antibiotics for viral illness, and neglect the concerns that people have about antibiotics, and the fact that many people try to avoid them. We suggest that these concerns about antibiotics form a resource for educating patients, for health promotion and social marketing strategies.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. pauline.norris@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Massey University Albany, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, North Shore City 0745, New Zealand. k.chamberlain@massey.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Cultural Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. kevin.dew@vuw.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dew
authors.affiliation: Centre for Criminology and Sociology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK. J.Gabe@rhul.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gabe
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. dhodgetts@waikato.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Darrin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hodgetts
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Massey University Albany, Private Bag 102904, North Shore, North Shore City 0745, New Zealand. hmadden2012@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madden
keywords: antibiotics; lay attitudes; public knowledge; qualitative