Abstract
BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global healthcare threat promoted by all use of antibiotics. Hence, reducing overuse of antibiotics is essential. The necessary behaviour change relies on effective public health communication, but previous information campaigns-while showing some successes-have fallen short in generating a lasting increase of public awareness. A potential reason for this is AMR-related terminology, which has been criticised as inconsistent, abstract and difficult to pronounce. We report the first empirical test of word memorability and risk association for the most frequent AMR-related health terms. METHODS: Across two surveys sampling 237 US and 924 UK participants, we test people's memory for and the risk they associate with six AMR-related terms and thirty-four additional health risk terms (e.g., cancer). Participants also rate the terms on different linguistic dimensions including concreteness, familiarity, processing fluency and pronounceability. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that existing AMR-related health terms-particularly "AMR" and "Antimicrobial resistance"-are unsuitable for public health communication, because they score consistently low on both memorability and risk association. Out of the AMR terms, "Antibiotic resistance" and-to a lesser extent-"Drug-resistant infections" perform best. Regression analyses suggest that linguistic attributes (e.g., familiarity, processing fluency, pronounceability) are predictors of the terms' risk association. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight an urgent need to rename AMR with a memorable term that effectively signals the existential threat of AMR and thereby motivates a change in antibiotic use. The success of the revised term is likely to depend, at least partially, on its linguistic attributes.