Knowledge about infections is associated with antibiotic use: cross-sectional evidence from the health survey Northern Ireland.

Knowledge, and other modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, were positively associated with antibiotic use in the past 12 months. While the causal direction of these associations could not be determined, given the high prevalence of lesser knowledge, as well as independent contributions of other factors including socioeconomic characteristics, health literacy campaigns to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance should take a multi-pronged approach.