Parental Attitudes Toward the Administration of Medicines to Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan

Background: Children are particularly susceptible to the consequences of inappropriate medication use. The practice of parental administration of medicines to children could lead to negative consequences for the child's health. This study aimed to evaluate parental attitudes in Jordan toward the administration of medicines to children and its associated factors. Methods: This is an online, cross-sectional survey study that was conducted in Jordan between November and December 2025 using the Google Forms online tool. The questionnaire tool examined parental attitudes toward the administration of medicines to children. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify demographic factors associated with a more positive parental attitude score toward the administration of medicines to children. Results: A total of 1175 parents were involved in this study. Most respondents were female (71.2%) and married (83.5%), with the largest age group being 35-44 years (34.2%). A bachelor's degree was the most common educational level (40.6%), and nearly half of the participants were employed (43.3%). A total of 55.4% of the parents had a positive attitude toward the administration of medicines to children. The parental attitude scores were significantly associated with female sex, higher income, and having a child aged 3-5 years. Male parents had significantly lower attitude scores toward the administration of medicines to children compared to female participants (B = -2.060, β = -0.075, 95% CI: -3.684 to -0.436, p = 0.013). Higher income was significantly associated with more positive attitude scores toward the administration of medicines to children (B = 1.521, β = 0.097, 95% CI: 0.441-2.600, p = 0.006). Furthermore, participants with children aged 3-5 years had significantly higher attitude scores toward the administration of medicines to children (B = 1.821, β = 0.066, 95% CI: 0.023-3.618, p = 0.047). Conclusions: The current study demonstrated a moderate parental attitude toward the administration of medicines to children. Despite positive perceptions regarding the necessity and effectiveness of medications for children, concerns about side effects, drug-drug interactions, and long-term effects were reported.