Prevalence of Parental Misconceptions About Antibiotic Use

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Health Services Research
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Previous studies identified disparities in antibiotic knowledge between parents with Medicaid and commercial insurance.
• It remains unclear if these knowledge gaps have narrowed or if disparities persist over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current antibiotic knowledge and attitudes among parents of children with Medicaid vs. commercial insurance.
• To evaluate changes in knowledge and identify predictors since a 2000 survey.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 1500 Massachusetts parents of children under 6 with Medicaid or commercial health plans in 2013.
• Utilized chi-squared tests for knowledge/attitude comparisons and multivariable modeling for predictor analysis.
• Compared 2013 data with a similar 2000 survey to assess changes.

Main Results:

• Medicaid-insured parents were younger, less likely to be white, and had lower education levels.
• Fewer Medicaid-insured parents demonstrated correct antibiotic knowledge, except for bronchitis-related questions.
• While understanding of green nasal discharge not needing antibiotics increased, the rise was less significant among Medicaid-insured parents (32% vs. 49%).
• Medicaid-insured parents were more likely to request unnecessary antibiotics (P < .01).

Conclusions:

• Persistent misconceptions regarding antibiotic use are more common in parents of Medicaid-insured children.
• Knowledge improvements were more substantial in more advantaged populations.
• Targeted educational interventions are crucial for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations to curb unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.