Table 2. Association of physician’s characteristics and knowledge regarding diarrhea with rationality of antibiotic use for diarrheal management (N ^a = 264).

Practitioners' characteristics and knowledge regarding diarrhea (domain-wise and as a whole)		Categories	Rationality of commonly prescribed antibiotic for treating acute watery/bloody diarrhea		Rationality of commonly prescribed antibiotic for treating mucoid diarrhea		Rationality of Commonly prescribed antibiotic for treating diarrhea overall
			OR b (95% CI c )	p values	OR b (95% CI c )	p values	OR b (95% CI c )	p values
Category of the practitioner		General	3.01(1.35–6.67)	0.007	1.33(0.67–2.65)	0.412	5.24(1.31–20.95)	0.019
(Reference = Non-qualified)		Specialist	3.91(1.73–8.82)	0.001	2.22(1.11–4.41)	0.023	8.75(2.27–33.66)	0.002
Duration of practice (Reference: <10yrs)		≥10yrs	2.87(1.16–7.09)	0.023	1.23(0.65–2.34)	0.529	2.13(0.60–7.55)	0.240
Attached to which type of healthcare facility? (Reference = None)		Private sector	2.48(0.84–7.35)	0.100	1.01(0.49–2.08)	0.985	3.91(0.50–30.37)	0.192
		Govt. sector	5.11(1.18–22.26)	0.030	1.03(0.28–3.79)	0.967	11.08(1.06–115.53)	0.044
Knowledge of the participating physicians regarding	Signs & symptoms of diarrheal diseases (Reference = Worst)	Better	1.43(0.68–3.00)	0.349	0.83(0.44–1.56)	0.561	2.81(0.75–10.49)	0.125
		Best	2.13(0.85–5.36)	0.107	1.80(0.82–3.95)	0.141	5.49(1.30–23.13)	0.020
	Occurrence and spread of diarrhea (Reference = Worst)	Better	0.91(0.41–1.99)	0.808	0.97(0.49–1.93)	0.936	0.27(0.05–1.42)	0.122
		Best	1.48(0.65–3.38)	0.351	1.67(0.81–3.47)	0.166	3.26(1.09–9.77)	0.035
	Management of diarrhea (Reference = Worst)	Better	3.07(1.43–6.59)	0.004	1.51(0.81–2.82)	0.199	2.29(0.76–6.94)	0.142
		Best	2.16(0.81–5.80)	0.126	1.73(0.78–3.84)	0.175	2.26(0.58–8.83)	0.243
	Prevention and control of diarrhea (Reference = Worst)	Better	2.04(0.81–5.15)	0.133	1.33(0.59–2.99)	0.493	3.78(0.81–17.58)	0.090
		Best	1.03(0.40–2.68)	0.950	1.30(0.60–2.85)	0.509	1.13 (0.21–6.01)	0.888
	Cholera as a whole (Reference = Worst)	Better	3.18(1.52–6.62)	0.002	1.49(0.83–2.67)	0.185	2.77(0.93–8.22)	0.067
		Best	4.29(1.39–13.21)	0.011	1.24(0.41–3.70)	0.702	4.48(0.98–20.46)	0.053
	Oral rehydration solution and its use (Reference = Worst)	Better	1.26(0.62–2.58)	0.523	1.92(1.03–3.56)	0.039	2.30(0.75–7.10)	0.147
		Best	1.83(0.74–4.49)	0.189	1.79(0.78–4.12)	0.172	3.61(0.99–13.21)	0.053
	Diarrhea as a whole (Reference = Worst)	Better	2.93(1.35–6.34)	0.006	1.90(0.99–3.63)	0.052	3.19(0.82–12.37)	0.094
		Best	2.26(0.89–5.73)	0.085	2.13(0.99–4.56)	0.053	6.82(1.73–26.92)	0.006

Boldfaced figures denote results for which P<0.05.

^a N = Total number of participating physicians.

^b OR = Odds ratio.

^c 95%CI = 95% Confidence Interval.