Parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward antibiotic use for childhood Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Khartoum, Sudan

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are among the most common diagnoses resulting in antibiotic prescriptions. Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use is critical to avoiding irrational use and antimicrobial resistance; one of the top 10 global public health concerns facing humanity. As monitoring and administering therapy for children’s ailments are mostly the responsibility of their parents, their perception will have a significant effect on whether or not it is administered appropriately.

This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted at 2 major children teaching hospitals (Ibrahim Malik and Jaafar Ibn Auf) in Khartoum, Sudan. A simple random sampling was applied and a questionnaire adapted from a previous study was used to collect the data. Data was analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Ethical clearance was obtained from the Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, the ministry of health, and the hospitals in which the study was conducted.

Two hundred and eleven out of two hundred thirty-nine randomly selected parents participated in the study (response rate of 88.3%). Although, 63.5% of parents were aware that antibiotics should not be administered for every case of fever, only 39.3% of respondents were aware that URTIs are caused by viruses and do not require antibiotic therapy. 60% (60%) believed that antibiotics cure URTI symptoms faster and 70.6% were unaware that inappropriate antibiotic administration leads to bacterial resistance. The most prevalent symptom that prompts parents to seek medical assistance was earache (80.6%), followed by fever and sore throat (68.2% and 64.5%, respectively). When they went to the doctor, 73.3% expected antibiotics to be prescribed, and more than 65% wanted antibiotics to be administered if their child had cold or nasal drainage. Only 28.4% of parents said they never administer antibiotics without consulting a doctor.

Parents should be educated about the duration of URTIs, the self-limiting nature of such infections in children, and how to use antibiotics safely and effectively. The provision of such knowledge may minimize parents’ fears and concerns regarding URTIs, hence reducing antibiotic use.