دراسة مجتمعية حول: استخدام المضادات الحيوية للأطفال من قبل الوالدين دون وصفة طبية

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic misuse is a critical health concern, particularly in countries struggling with financial income. In these regions, parents' inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to evaluate the percentage of parents administering antibiotics to their children without prescriptions, identify the key factors driving this behavior, and suggest appropriate measures to address this issue in Kirkuk society.

Methods: This study was conducted from June 2024 to October 2024. The interview was carried out with the father or mother who has at least one child, and each participant received a copy of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be completed by either the father or the mother in each family, ensuring one response per household. The questionnaire included questions related to the inappropriate use of antibiotics by parents, specifically, where antibiotics were used without a prescription. Results: In this study, (53.1%) of parents reported administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. Parents with university degrees were less likely to misuse antibiotics,11.4% of them did not use antibiotics without a prescription, compared to 6.5% of parents without university degrees. Among participants with a monthly income of 700,000 Iraqi Dinars (ID), 502 were surveyed, and (68.72%) of them admitted to administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. In contrast, of the 528 families with a monthly income between 1,200,000 and 2,000,000 ID, (56.82%) reported similar practices. Conclusions: We concluded that a majority of families in this study administer antibiotics to their children without a prescription. The likelihood of such misuse is closely linked to the educational achievement of parents, as those with university degrees are more likely to use antibiotics appropriately. Furthermore, our data found a correlation between monthly financial income and the rational use of antibiotics, with families of lower income being more inclined to misuse antibiotics without prescriptions.

Background: Antibiotic misuse is a critical health concern, particularly in countries struggling with financial income. In these regions, parents' inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to evaluate the percentage of parents administering antibiotics to their children without prescriptions, identify the key factors driving this behavior, and suggest appropriate measures to address this issue in Kirkuk society.

Methods: This study was conducted from June 2024 to October 2024. The interview was carried out with the father or mother who has at least one child, and each participant received a copy of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be completed by either the father or the mother in each family, ensuring one response per household. The questionnaire included questions related to the inappropriate use of antibiotics by parents, specifically, where antibiotics were used without a prescription. Results: In this study, (53.1%) of parents reported administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. Parents with university degrees were less likely to misuse antibiotics,11.4% of them did not use antibiotics without a prescription, compared to 6.5% of parents without university degrees. Among participants with a monthly income of 700,000 Iraqi Dinars (ID), 502 were surveyed, and (68.72%) of them admitted to administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. In contrast, of the 528 families with a monthly income between 1,200,000 and 2,000,000 ID, (56.82%) reported similar practices. Conclusions: We concluded that a majority of families in this study administer antibiotics to their children without a prescription. The likelihood of such misuse is closely linked to the educational achievement of parents, as those with university degrees are more likely to use antibiotics appropriately. Furthermore, our data found a correlation between monthly financial income and the rational use of antibiotics, with families of lower income being more inclined to misuse antibiotics without prescriptions.

Background: Antibiotic misuse is a critical health concern, particularly in countries struggling with financial income. In these regions, parents' inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to evaluate the percentage of parents administering antibiotics to their children without prescriptions, identify the key factors driving this behavior, and suggest appropriate measures to address this issue in Kirkuk society.

Methods: This study was conducted from June 2024 to October 2024. The interview was carried out with the father or mother who has at least one child, and each participant received a copy of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be completed by either the father or the mother in each family, ensuring one response per household. The questionnaire included questions related to the inappropriate use of antibiotics by parents, specifically, where antibiotics were used without a prescription. Results: In this study, (53.1%) of parents reported administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. Parents with university degrees were less likely to misuse antibiotics,11.4% of them did not use antibiotics without a prescription, compared to 6.5% of parents without university degrees. Among participants with a monthly income of 700,000 Iraqi Dinars (ID), 502 were surveyed, and (68.72%) of them admitted to administering antibiotics to their children without a prescription. In contrast, of the 528 families with a monthly income between 1,200,000 and 2,000,000 ID, (56.82%) reported similar practices. Conclusions: We concluded that a majority of families in this study administer antibiotics to their children without a prescription. The likelihood of such misuse is closely linked to the educational achievement of parents, as those with university degrees are more likely to use antibiotics appropriately. Furthermore, our data found a correlation between monthly financial income and the rational use of antibiotics, with families of lower income being more inclined to misuse antibiotics without prescriptions.