OBJECTIVES

: Community perception on antimicrobials plays a role in driving the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge transfer of AMR in Hong Kong elderly aged 65 or above.

METHODS

: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest controlled study was carried out within October, 2018 to March, 2019. 144 participants were targeted to be reached through a university-based summer outreach program. The one-to-one intervention was conducted by final-year pharmacy students in community elderly centers with the aid of video and verbal explanation to educate the elderly about the definition, causes, and consequences of AMR, as well as preventive measures against AMR. Eleven questions on knowledge on antibiotics and AMR were used as a tool to reflect the effectiveness. The questionnaire was completed twice, before and one week after the intervention. Chi-square test, t-tests and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

: The study eventually interviewed a total of 93 Chinese elders, with 61 of them in the intervention group and 32 in the control group. The score obtained by the intervention group increased from 40.1% to 83.3% (p<0.001), while that of control group increased from 33.0% to 44.0% (p<0.001). The increase attained in the intervention group was significantly greater than that of the control group (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

: The significant change in knowledge level showed effective knowledge transfer on Hong Kong elderly regarding antibiotics and AMR in the short term. The study could be used as a reference when allocating resources to implement effective community health education in the elderly population.