Attitudes of mothers towards over the counter antibiotics for their children in Baghdad city
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/43f0y908Keywords:
attitudes, over the counter, antibioticsAbstract
Objectives to evaluate mothers` attitudes toward OTC antibiotics without consultation, and common reasons for this practice
Methods A cross-sectional design was conducted at primary health care centers in Baghdad city. A sample of 225 mothers was selected to participate in the study. Data were collected from the period of the 15th of October 2015 to the 15th of May 2016. A constructed questionnaire format was used to evaluate mothers` attitudes containing 20 items.
Results: The result of the study showed that (45.3%) of mothers at 25-34 years old have primary school education, (24.4%) are housewives, (65.8%) have moderate income, (45.7%) use medication without a prescription, (55.1%) get their source for medication from pharmacists, and (46.2%) their reasons for self-medication were mothers' experiences and not the availability of nearby health services. The mean score of mothers` attitudes showed mothers with unaccepted attitudes toward OTC antibiotics. Conclusion OTC antibiotic practice was accepted in the Iraqi population; mothers` showed unacceptable attitudes toward this behavior. Economic status, level of education, and their age showed a significant association with mothers` attitudes.
Recommendation Increased parent awareness of the side effects of antibiotics and bacterial resistance by active communication and social media in addition to activating the governmental role in medication control.
Downloads
References
1. Maharjan M & Adhikari K. Practices on Over-the-Counter Medication among Mothers of Under-Five-Aged Children Attending Child OPD at Friends of Shanta Bhawan, Boudha, Kathmandu. Health Prospect. 2011; 10:98-104.
2. Quizhpe A, Gassowski M, Encalada L, and Barten F. Differences in antibiotic use and knowledge between adolescent and adult mothers in Ecuador. 2013; 2: 108. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm. Accessed on 4 April 2019.
3. Silva B P, Hussain F H, Ginige G, Kulathunge A, Kannangara H, Goonawardane S, Gamage M. Self-medication practices and misuse of medicine among mothers of young children attending a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health. 2017; 46(2): 122-127.
4. Mansour S and Mohamed M. Study of Maternal Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Antibiotic Use for Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Children. Journal of Nursing and Health Science. 2015; 4 (4):17-23. Available at www.iosrjournals.org. Access on 6 April 2019.
5. Rouusounides A, Papaevangelou V, Hadjipanayis A, Panagakou S, Theodoridou M, Syrogiannopoulos G, and Hadjichristodoulou C. Descriptive Study on Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Antibiotic Use and Misuse in Children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Cyprus. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2011;8: 3246-3262. Available at www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.
6. Siddiqui S, Cheema M S, Ayub R, Shah N, Hamza A, Hussain S, Khan M. H, Raza S. M. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents Regarding Antibiotic Use in Children. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2014; 26 (2). Available at http://www.ayubmed.edu.pk/JAMC/26-2/Saad. Accessed on 9 January 2019.
7. Al-Dosari K. Parental knowledge, attitude, and practice on antibiotic use for upper respiratory tract infections in children. Majmaah J. Health Sciences. 2013; 1 (1).
8. Taha A B, Hama K H, Ismail I B, Mawlud S A. Assessment of Antibiotics Misuse among People in Erbil City. Iraqi visual library. 2013; 3: 86-93.
9. Aoyama I, Koyama S, and Hibino H. Self-medication behaviors among Japanese consumers: sex, age, and SES differences and caregivers’ attitudes toward their children’s health management. Asia Pacific Family Medicine. 2012; 11 (7). Available at http://www.apfmj.com/content/11/1/7.
10. Ibrahim M. S., Khderat A., Masri A., Abu Iram Y. Antibiotic misuse and non-prescription use among children less than six years in the north of the West Bank. (Published Thesis). 2011. An Najah National University
11. Eiland L S, Salazar M L, and English T M. Caregivers’ Perspectives When Evaluating Nonprescription Medication Utilization in Children. Clinical Pediatrics. 2008; 47 (6): 578-587.
12. Abozed H. W., Abusaad F. E., Abd El-Aziz M. A. Maternal Knowledge and Treatment Practices Regarding the Use of Antibiotics among their Children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Journal of Nursing and Health Science. 2016; 5(6): 108-117. Available at www.iosrjournals.org.
13. Hassan WZ, Baiee HA, Altufaily Y. Audit on the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice about the Misuse of Antibiotics in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children among Parents in Al-Najaf Province. Kufa Journal for Nursing Sciences. 2015; 2.
14. Al‑Ayed M S. Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Antibiotic Use by Children. Saudi Journal of Medicine & Medical Sciences. 2019; 7 (2): 65-71.
15. Soleimani G, Shahri E S, Teimouri A, Sargolzaei N , Ghavampour F. Knowledge and Behavior of Mothers about Antibiotic Use in Children Under Six Years Old With Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. International Journal of Infection. 2016; 3 (4): 122-9.
16. Noori A R. Irrational Self-Medication of Antibiotics in University of Kufa in Annajaf. Medical Journal of Babylon. 2010; 7: 146-152.
17. Quizhpe A, Gassowski M, Encalada L, Barten F. Differences in antibiotic use and knowledge between adolescents and adult mothers in Ecuador. F1000Research. 2013;1:2-108.
18. Bia P, Tongb S, Parton K A. Family self-medication and antibiotics abuse for children and juveniles in a Chinese city. Social Science & Medicine. 2000; 1445-1450. Available at www.elsevier.com/locate/socscimed.
19. Younes A, Tahaineh L, Moumani B. Parents' Knowledge, Perception, and Practices of Over-the-Counter Medicines Used for Their Children. Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2011; 4 (3):181.
20. Yu M, Zhao G, Lundborg C S, Zhu Y, Zhao Q, and Xu B. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of parents in rural China on the use of antibiotics in children: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2014; 14:112. Available at http://www.biomedcentral.com.
21. Changa J, Lva B, Zhua S, Yua J, Zhanga Y, Yea D, Aziza M M, Yanga C, and Fanga Y. Non-prescription use of antibiotics among children in urban China: a cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Expert review of anti-infective therapy. 2018; 4. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2018.1425616.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 AUTHOR
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
