Parental information needs during a large group a streptococcus upsurge: A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional, mixed methods study

TL;DR

During a Strep A outbreak in the UK, parents were worried but uncertain about symptoms and needed clearer information.

Contribution

The study identifies parents' information needs and gaps in symptom knowledge during Strep A/iGAS upsurges.

Findings

Most parents were highly worried about Strep A and iGAS but had limited knowledge of their symptoms.

Flu-like symptoms and sore throat were the most recognized symptoms, but recognition rates were below 60%.

Seeking information did not significantly improve symptom knowledge among parents.

Abstract

Upsurges of Group A streptococcus (Strep A) and invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) among children can lead to severe health outcomes. Little is known about parents’ information needs during upsurges.

Secondary analysis of an online cross-sectional survey of 503 parents in the UK, conducted during an upsurge of Strep A/iGAS in 2022.

Data were available on perceived severity of Strep A and iGAS, levels of worry, knowledge about their symptoms, and whether parents had sought information and if so what.

Thirty-seven participants (7.4 %) had not heard of Strep A, versus 140 (27.8 %) for iGAS. Most participants who had heard of either condition had searched for information, commonly in relation to symptoms. Percentages of participants giving high ratings for severity and worry (scores of 5 or more out of 7) were similar for Strep A (severity: 78.7 %, worry: 65.9 %) and iGAS (severity: 81.1 %, worry: 61.8 %). The only symptoms shown to participants that were correctly identified by more than 50 % were ‘flu-like symptoms’ (recognised by 51.8 % for Strep A and 40.2 % for iGAS) and sore throat (52.5 % and 37.3 % respectively). There was no association between looking for information, or where participants had received information from, and symptom knowledge scores.

High levels of worry existed among parents during the 2022 upsurge in Strep A/iGAS in the UK. This was accompanied by uncertainty about the symptoms associated with Strep A/iGAS and a high desire for more information about symptoms. During future outbreaks, providing clear information about the symptoms to watch out for should continue to be prioritised.