Consumers’ Awareness Regarding the Effect of Antibiotic Used in Animal Feed on Human Health

Abstract

The main objectives of the study were to determine the consumers’ awareness regarding the effect of antibiotics used in animal feed on human health and to explore relationship between the selected characteristics of the respondent consumers and their awareness. The study was conducted at Mohammad Nagar residential area under Batiaghata upazila of Khulna district and Nirala residential area of Khulna City Corporation, Khulna, Bangladesh following descriptive and diagnostic type of research design. Forty respondents from each of the residential areas were interviewed as the sample of the study and data were collected through personal interview method using an interview schedule by the researcher between January–February, 2019. Most (80%) of the respondents were highly aware while only one fifth (20%) of the respondents had medium awareness about the effect of antibiotics used in animal feed on human health. Consumers were highly aware that resistance is grown in pathogenic organisms causing diseases in human body against antibiotics that were used in patient treatment; thus, resulting in treatment failure. However, consumers were less aware about allergic reaction and painful rash, which are possible with many antibiotics. The mean awareness score of the consumers residing at Nirala was higher than that of Mohammad Nagar residential area but it did not differ significantly. This might be due to proximity of the two residential areas. Among ten selected characteristics of the respondents; education, family education, annual family income, exposure to communication media, nutritional knowledge, animal protein consumption behavior and attitude showed positive significant relationship with their awareness regarding the effect of antibiotic used in animal feed on human health. Consumers in the study area are concerned about the effect of antibiotics used in animal feed on human health.