Volume 11, Number 7—July 2005
Dispatch
Beliefs about Appropriate Antibacterial Therapy, California
, Jon Rosenberg*, and Duc J. Vugia*
Table 1
Factors associated with the misconception that cold or flu should be treated with antibacterial drugs, California, 2000 and 2003*
| Characteristic | % in 2000† (n = 3,703) (OR‡, 95% CI) | % in 2003† (n = 3,727) (OR‡, 95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Black, non-Hispanic | 40.6 (2.57, 1.88–3.52) | 32.5 (2.82, 1.98–4.08) |
| Hispanic | 46.2 (2.00, 1.58–2.52) | 39.5 (1.96, 1.51–2.53) |
| Asian/other | 37.1 (2.67, 1.94–3.67) | 19.7 (1.78, 1.21–2.62) |
| White, non-Hispanic | 19.4 (referent) | 13.8 (referent) |
| Age (y) | ||
| 18–34 | 36.1 (2.13, 1.74–2.61) | 26.7 (1.55, 1.23–1.94) |
| 35–54 | 18.9 (referent) | 14.5 (referent) |
| ≥55 | 28.5 (1.59, 1.27–1.97) | 19.7 (1.24, 0.97–1.58) |
| Annual household income ($US) | ||
| ≤14,999 | 46.9 (2.48, 1.91–3.22) | 41.9 (3.10, 2.34–4.10) |
| 15,000–24,999 | 36.8 (2.03, 1.56–2.64) | 29.3 (1.94, 1.44–2.62) |
| 25,000–49,999 | 25.9 (1.62, 1.30–2.03) | 20.3 (1.70, 1.32–2.19) |
| ≥50,000 | 12.9 (referent) | 8.5 (referent) |
| Education | ||
| <12 y | 52.2 (3.03, 2.23–4.10) | 43.1 (3.16, 2.26–4.44) |
| High school graduate/GED | 31.8 (1.91, 1.50–2.44) | 29.3 (3.08, 2.34–4.07) |
| Some college | 20.5 (1.33, 1.04–1.69) | 15.7 (1.79, 1.35–2.36) |
| College graduate | 13.9 (referent) | 7.3 (referent) |
| Region of California§ | ||
| Central | 28.2 (1.34, 1.04–1.74) | 24.8 (1.65, 1.25–2.17) |
| Southern | 29.9 (1.40, 1.16–1.70) | 21.4 (1.38, 1.10–1.71) |
| Northern | 18.7 (referent) | 13.1 (referent) |
| Years in United States | ||
| ≤5 | 57.1 (2.03, 0.86–4.79) | 42.7 (1.58, 0.97–2.58) |
| 6–10 | 50.8 (1.52, 0.98–2.35) | 34.6 (1.24, 0.79–1.94) |
| >10 | 36.6 (0.98, 0.77–1.23) | 29.6 (1.11, 0.85–1.44) |
| US-born | 21.9 (referent) | 15.3 (referent) |
| Children <6 y in household | ||
| Yes | 28.9 (0.61, 0.49–0.76) | 24.9 (0.86, 0.68–1.09) |
| No | 25.0 (referent) | 17.5 (referent) |
| Access to health plan | ||
| No | 44.1 (1.06, 0.84–1.35) | 37.2 (1.30, 1.02–1.65) |
| Yes | 22.9 (referent) | 16.4 (referent) |
*OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; GED, general equivalency diploma.
†Percent represents number of respondents with misconception divided by total number of respondents. Percentages for race/ethnicity and age are weighted to the 1990 California population; all other percentages are unweighted.
‡Adjusted for all characteristics listed in the table.
§Central = Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, and Tulare Counties; southern = Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties; northern = all remaining Counties.