Pattern of antibiotic use among children caregivers: a cross-sectional study

Antibiotic resistance, a major global health concern, is primarily caused by the irrational use of antibiotics. Parents play a crucial role in antibiotic use by children, directly impacting their clinical outcomes. This study aimed to assess the pattern of antibiotic use among parents and its related factors.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 parents randomly selected from the pediatric outpatient clinics of Al-Zahraa University Hospital, Cairo. Data were collected using a structured interview questionnaire about sociodemographic data, antibiotic use patterns, parental knowledge and attitudes, common sources of information, and reasons for self-prescribing antibiotics.

Out of the 400 parents surveyed, 87.7% were mothers with a mean age of 31.9 ± 7 years, 76% were highly educated, almost half were not working, 63% came from urban areas, and 95.2% had sufficient income. As for their children, 57.5% had male children; their average age was 5.5 ± 3.7 years. The misuse of antibiotics was prevalent among 37.2% (95% CI = 32.5-42.2%) of parents. When assessing parents' knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic use, 30.2% (95% CI = 25.8-35.0%) had good knowledge which was significantly more common among highly educated, working, and high-income parents, while the majority (72%, 95% CI = 67.3-76.3%) had a positive attitude. Having more and older children significantly increased the probability of antibiotic misuse, while a higher level of parental education and a positive attitude decreased the likelihood of such misuse (odds ratio (OR) was 1.31, 1.09, 0.52, and 0.11, respectively). Most parents obtained their information about antibiotics from physicians (92%) followed by experience from previous prescription (58.5%). Moreover, among inappropriate users, previous prescriptions and the parent's perception of the child's illness as a nonurgent condition were the most frequently cited reasons for the parents' self-prescription of antibiotics (76.5% and 69.1%, respectively).

Approximately, one-third of surveyed parents demonstrated an inappropriate use of antibiotics. Despite possessing a highly positive attitude and a reasonable level of knowledge about antibiotics, parents often underestimate the potential adverse effects. Tailored measures to promote appropriate antibiotic use are therefore needed to combat the problem of antibiotic resistance.