Americans of Hispanic origin are more likely to believe that taking antibiotics will ease the symptoms of a cold and thus use them incorrectly, a new report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed.

Most colds are viral, and antibiotics do not work against viruses. Unnecessarily using them helps bacteria become resistant, making the drugs less effective when they are really needed, Reuters explained. Louise Francois Watkins, a CDC expert and lead author of the report, told the newswire that the new study would help the Atlanta-based health organization address the issue.

"We know from other research that cultural factors can influence health-related knowledge and attitudes," Watkins said. "However, there have been few national studies looking specifically at knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic use among Hispanic consumers, so this study does provide us with new information."

The CDC determined that more than a quarter of patients in the United States expect to leave the doctor's office with a prescription for antibiotics when they consult their physicians about a cold, The Verge noted. The findings are based on an Internet survey in which the agency quizzed a total of 7,546 American consumers -- 1,000 of them Hispanic -- in 2012 and 2013.

"Responses among Hispanic consumers differed markedly from those among all consumers," the CDC report noted. "Hispanic consumers were more likely to agree that when they have a cold, antibiotics prevent more serious illness and help them get better more quickly."

While only about 9 percent of all respondents said they would use leftover antibiotics from a prior illness to self-medicate in case of a cold, that number jumped to 25 percent among Latinos, the CDC said.

"Although knowledge of antibiotic side effect profiles was generally comparable between Hispanic consumers and all consumers," the agency added, "Hispanic consumers were less aware of potential dangers of antibiotic use, such as antibiotics becoming less effective after their use (antibiotic resistance) or that antibiotics might kill the 'good' bacteria the body needs."