Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region
Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 5 years old and younger poses a critical health concern, affecting both the general health of children and the emotional well-being of parents. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental understanding, attitudes, and experiences related...
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/9/1573 |
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| author | Hayfa Abdulkhaleq AlHefdhi Maraam Mohammed Al Qout Alhanouf Yahya Alqahtani Meshal Mohammed Alqahtani Roaa Mohammed Asiri Omair Mohammed Alshahrani Hanan Delem Almoghamer Naglaa Youssef Ramy Mohamed Ghazy |
| author_facet | Hayfa Abdulkhaleq AlHefdhi Maraam Mohammed Al Qout Alhanouf Yahya Alqahtani Meshal Mohammed Alqahtani Roaa Mohammed Asiri Omair Mohammed Alshahrani Hanan Delem Almoghamer Naglaa Youssef Ramy Mohamed Ghazy |
| author_sort | Hayfa Abdulkhaleq AlHefdhi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 5 years old and younger poses a critical health concern, affecting both the general health of children and the emotional well-being of parents. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental understanding, attitudes, and experiences related to AOM and its management, including the use of antibiotics without physician prescription. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out during the months of May and June of 2023. To collect data for this study, a validated questionnaire was converted into a Google form and given to parents of children aged 5 years and younger who sought healthcare for their children in primary healthcare centers in Abha city, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 406 parents participated in this study, 64.8% of them were women and 45.3% of them were in the age range of 25 to 34 years. The majority (90.1%) resided in urban areas and a significant proportion (72.2%) had a university education. Among the respondents, 22.7% agreed that bacteria are the cause of AOM, while 21.7% agreed that it is caused by viruses. A total of 51.0% acknowledged the need for antibiotics in the management of AOM. In terms of treatment, 84.5% and 83.5% believed that analgesics and antibiotics, respectively, were the most effective for otalgia. A substantial portion, 43.1%, 34.7%, and 37.7%, respectively, believed that antibiotics could reduce pain, relieve fever, and prevent recurrence. Almost three-quarters sought medical advice primarily from paediatricians and 37.7% obtained information about AOM from the Internet. Furthermore, almost a third (28.8%) chose not to wait for the physician’s appointment and immediately administered antibiotics without the physician’s prescription due to concerns about disease progression. Approximately two fifths (38.4%) requested physicians to prescribe antibiotics, a pattern that was in agreement with the actual rate of antibiotic prescriptions (38.4%). Conclusions: A notable deficiency in knowledge and unsafe practices about AOM and its management is evident among parents in the Aseer region. This underscores the pressing need for an educational program aimed at improving parental health literacy regarding otitis media causes and treatments, as well as its preventive measures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:54:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0242a5d5d66743349dde7b42a5be83ed |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:54:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
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| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-0242a5d5d66743349dde7b42a5be83ed2023-11-19T10:04:23ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672023-09-01109157310.3390/children10091573Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer RegionHayfa Abdulkhaleq AlHefdhi0Maraam Mohammed Al Qout1Alhanouf Yahya Alqahtani2Meshal Mohammed Alqahtani3Roaa Mohammed Asiri4Omair Mohammed Alshahrani5Hanan Delem Almoghamer6Naglaa Youssef7Ramy Mohamed Ghazy8Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medical-Surgical Nursing, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrah-Man University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi ArabiaTropical Health Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21561, EgyptBackground: Acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 5 years old and younger poses a critical health concern, affecting both the general health of children and the emotional well-being of parents. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental understanding, attitudes, and experiences related to AOM and its management, including the use of antibiotics without physician prescription. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out during the months of May and June of 2023. To collect data for this study, a validated questionnaire was converted into a Google form and given to parents of children aged 5 years and younger who sought healthcare for their children in primary healthcare centers in Abha city, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 406 parents participated in this study, 64.8% of them were women and 45.3% of them were in the age range of 25 to 34 years. The majority (90.1%) resided in urban areas and a significant proportion (72.2%) had a university education. Among the respondents, 22.7% agreed that bacteria are the cause of AOM, while 21.7% agreed that it is caused by viruses. A total of 51.0% acknowledged the need for antibiotics in the management of AOM. In terms of treatment, 84.5% and 83.5% believed that analgesics and antibiotics, respectively, were the most effective for otalgia. A substantial portion, 43.1%, 34.7%, and 37.7%, respectively, believed that antibiotics could reduce pain, relieve fever, and prevent recurrence. Almost three-quarters sought medical advice primarily from paediatricians and 37.7% obtained information about AOM from the Internet. Furthermore, almost a third (28.8%) chose not to wait for the physician’s appointment and immediately administered antibiotics without the physician’s prescription due to concerns about disease progression. Approximately two fifths (38.4%) requested physicians to prescribe antibiotics, a pattern that was in agreement with the actual rate of antibiotic prescriptions (38.4%). Conclusions: A notable deficiency in knowledge and unsafe practices about AOM and its management is evident among parents in the Aseer region. This underscores the pressing need for an educational program aimed at improving parental health literacy regarding otitis media causes and treatments, as well as its preventive measures.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/9/1573Aseer regionSaudi Arabiaotitis mediaantibiotic resistancehealth literacyhealth education |
| spellingShingle | Hayfa Abdulkhaleq AlHefdhi Maraam Mohammed Al Qout Alhanouf Yahya Alqahtani Meshal Mohammed Alqahtani Roaa Mohammed Asiri Omair Mohammed Alshahrani Hanan Delem Almoghamer Naglaa Youssef Ramy Mohamed Ghazy Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region Children Aseer region Saudi Arabia otitis media antibiotic resistance health literacy health education |
| title | Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region |
| title_full | Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region |
| title_fullStr | Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region |
| title_short | Parents’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region |
| title_sort | parents knowledge of and attitude toward acute otitis media and its treatment in children a survey at primary healthcare centers in the aseer region |
| topic | Aseer region Saudi Arabia otitis media antibiotic resistance health literacy health education |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/9/1573 |
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