Social determinants of health and knowledge, attitude and practice studies on antimicrobial resistance—an evidence review and future direction

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) intersects with social determinants of health (SDoH) influencing individual and population infectious disease exposure, spread and outcomes. A decade after the WHO recommended global AMR awareness campaigns to assess people’s knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), we reviewed existing KAP studies conducted among populations considered vulnerable, marginalized or deprived by SDoH indicators. Methods We conducted a sub-analysis of KAP studies from a broader systematic review that explored the intersection of SDoH, AMR, infections and vulnerable populations. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Scopus for studies published in English between 2000 and 2022. Titles, abstracts and full texts were screened, and qualitative analysis performed using thematic coding. Key findings were synthesized using a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) framework. Results Of the 126 papers included in the original review, 40 KAP studies met the inclusion criteria for this sub-analysis. Studies reported limited public knowledge about AMR and widespread practices of antibiotic self-medication. Existing recommendations emphasized continued health education. Although KAP studies describe ‘what’ antibiotic use behaviours are prevalent, they rarely address ‘why’ these behaviours occur—particularly in the context of SDoH and cultural norms. There is a pressing need to shift the research focus toward upstream drivers of behaviour, rather than solely on individual actions. Conclusions Current KAP studies prioritize individual behaviours without adequately considering the broader social, structural and environmental determinants. While these upstream factors remain unaddressed, the practice of sub-optimal self-medication is likely to persist, despite ongoing education efforts.