Widespread public engagement with antibiotic stewardship is essential to stem the rising incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections; however, campaigns that focus on increasing knowledge have not been effective. Beliefs about who is responsible for causing and solving antibiotic resistance (AR) likely influences engagement in antibiotic stewardship behaviors. This study assesses the U.S. public’s AR causal and solution responsibility attributions and the capacity for changing these attributions to inform future antibiotic stewardship campaigns. U.S. participants (N= 1,014) diverse across race, education, and geographic region were surveyed on their beliefs about responsibility for AR for themselves, the general public, healthcare providers, scientists, and drug companies. Substantial percentages of participants held causal and solution beliefs about antibiotic resistance that likely inhibit antibiotic stewardship behaviors. Participants’ beliefs that they and the general public are responsible for causing and solving AR were lower than their beliefs that healthcare providers, scientists, and drug companies are responsible. Beliefs about causal responsibility for any given person or group were significantly and positively associated with beliefs about solution responsibility for that same person or group. Responsibility beliefs differed by age, education level, and racial/ethnic background. Results highlight the need for antibiotic stewardship campaigns to incorporate responsibility attribution messaging to motivate stewardship.

公众广泛参与抗生素管理对于遏制抗生素耐药性感染的发病率上升至关重要；然而，以增加知识为重点的运动并不奏效。关于谁负责导致和解决抗生素耐药性 (AR) 的信念可能会影响参与抗生素管理行为。本研究评估了美国公众的 AR 因果关系和解决方案责任归因以及改变这些归因以告知未来抗生素管理活动的能力。美国参与者（N= 1,014) 调查了不同种族、教育和地理区域的不同人对 AR 对自身、公众、医疗保健提供者、科学家和制药公司的责任的看法。相当大比例的参与者对可能抑制抗生素管理行为的抗生素耐药性持有因果关系和解决方案信念。参与者认为他们和公众应对导致和解决 AR 负有责任的信念低于他们认为医疗保健提供者、科学家和制药公司负有责任的信念。对任何特定个人或群体的因果责任的信念与对同一个人或群体的解决方案责任的信念显着正相关。责任信念因年龄、教育水平和种族/民族背景而异。