Health Services Research & Managerial Epidemiology (Apr 2016)

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Parents Regarding Antibiotic Usage in Treating Children’s Upper Respiratory Tract Infection at Primary Health Clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  • Koh Chee Teck MS,
  • Hasanain Faisal Ghazi PhD,
  • Mohd Ikhwan Bin Ahmad MS,
  • Nuraqilah Binti Abdul Samad MS,
  • Karen Lai Ee Yu MS,
  • Nurul Farhana Binti Ismail MS,
  • Muhammad Amirul Aizat Bin Esa MS

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392816643720
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents regarding antibiotic usage for treating upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) among children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 320 randomly selected parents attending a primary health clinic using self-administered questionnaires. Results: About two-thirds (69.1%) of the parents had poor knowledge level. Only 25.2% and 21.6% of the parents could correctly identify amoxicillin and penicillin as the treatment of children’s URTI. However, about two-thirds (67.5%) of the parents were aware of the antibiotic resistance caused by overuse of antibiotics. A significant association was noted between the father’s and mother’s educational level and family income with the knowledge level. Only mother’s educational level depicted a significant association with the attitude. Conclusion: The knowledge of parents regarding antibiotic usage for URTI was poor. More numbers of health promotions and educational campaigns are required to help parents understand about antibiotic usage.