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The International Journal of Comprehensive Health, Medicine, & Dentistry
e‑ISSN 3105-5001 Open Access · CC BY-NC 4.0
Vol. 2 · Issue 2 · 2026 Sep 1, 2026 Articles

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Use and Resistance Among Medical Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

MN
Muhammad Nouman Corresponding Nawaz Sharif Medical College Gujrat noumanmuhammad1657@gmail.com Pakistan
SM
Samman Foundation University Medical College Pakistan
AA
Arshia Nawaz Sharif Medical College Pakistan
FR
Fatima Nawaz Sharif Medical College Pakistan
ZS
Zunaira Nawaz Sharif Medical College Pakistan
LI
Laeeba Nawaz Sharif Medical College Pakistan
Pages21-27 PublishedSep 1, 2026 LicenseOpen Access
Manuscript
IJCHMD 2 VOL 2 · 2
VOL 2 · ISS 2 · 2026 View issue

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health challenge, fueled in part by the 

inappropriate use of antibiotics among healthcare professionals and medical students. As future 

prescribers, medical students constitute a key target for educational interventions because their 

knowledge, attitudes, and prescribing practices are developed during undergraduate medical 

education. 

Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to antibiotic use and 

antimicrobial resistance among medical students from two medical institutions in Pakistan, and to 

investigate the relationship between KAP domains and selected sociodemographic characteristics. 

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 324 medical students recruited via simple 

random sampling from Nawaz Sharif Medical College (NSMC) and Foundation University Medical 

College (FUMC). A validated self-administered questionnaire with Cronbach’s α = 0.84 assessed 

knowledge (3 items, maximum score 3), attitudes (5 items, maximum score 5), and practices (5 items, 

maximum score 5). Non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis H, Spearman’s rho) and 

Chi-square analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.

Results: The mean knowledge score was 1.75±0.78 out of 3. Moderate knowledge was exhibited by 

55.6% of students. Mean attitude and practice scores were 3.83 ± 1.08 and 2.71 ± 1.54 out of 5, 

respectively. The female students had significantly higher attitude scores than the male students (U = 

11,086.50, p =.048). All three KAP domains varied significantly across academic years (p < .01). A 

significant moderate positive correlation existed between knowledge and attitude scores (ρ = 0.341, p 

< .001), but neither correlated significantly with practice. Self-medication was reported by 45.4% of 

participants and was significantly associated with year of study (χ² = 15.467, p = .004).

Conclusion: Medical students demonstrated moderate knowledge and relatively favourable attitudes 

toward antibiotic stewardship but suboptimal practices, highlighting a KAP gap. Targeted educational 

interventions, formal stewardship training, and institutional policy reform are urgently required.

 

Keywords

#Medical Education #Pakistan #KAP #Antibiotics #Self-medication

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