Parent’s Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice about utilizing Antibiotics for Children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: KSA

Antibiotics are frequently used to treat URTIs, but they seem to be ineffective on those caused by viruses. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has grown dramatically over time and has become a significant public health problem. Our research aims to assess the parental level of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward antibiotic use, especially in those who have children with URTI. A cross-sectional study included all regions of Saudi Arabia who have children less than 18 years and they were chosen by random sampling technique. an online questionnaire was distributed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotics use for children with URTI. Finally, data was collected and analyzed with the (SPSS) program. The study included 545 participants, the majority of participants fall within the 20-30 and 41-50 age groups, with 28.1% and 27.9% respectively. There are more female participants (72.5%) than male participants (27.5%). Only 2.2% of participants had good knowledge of antibiotics for children with URTIs, 19.6% had moderate knowledge and the majority 78.2% had poor knowledge. Parents’ attitude was 80.4% had a positive attitude, and 19.6% had a negative attitude towards antibiotics for children with URTIs. Regarding participants’ practice, 61.8% had positive practice, and 38.2% had negative practice. In conclusion, Saudi parents exhibited very poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and practices toward antibiotic utilization for children with upper respiratory tract infections. Knowledge was significantly associated with the age and educational level of participants. On the other hand, attitude was significantly associated with place of residence and monthly income.