# Parental perception of antibiotic use in children at home: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study explores how parents perceive factors influencing antibiotic use in children at home and how these perceptions relate to sociodemographic factors.

## Contribution

The study identifies sociodemographic factors linked to parental perceptions about antibiotic use in children.

## Key findings

- Parents with lower education and income had less understanding of proper antibiotic use.
- Parental perception is directly associated with correct antibiotic use and sociodemographic factors.
- Most participants were mothers, highlighting a gender disparity in the study sample.

## Abstract

to assess parental perception of the factors influencing their children’s antibiotic use at home and to determine the association with sociodemographic characteristics.

a descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 209 parents of children under 12 years of age who used antibiotics at home. A sociodemographic and clinical characterization instrument and the Parental Perception on Antibiotics Scale were administered. The Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman tests were used for data analysis.

most participants were mothers (90.9%). Parents with elementary education and income below the minimum wage had higher medians in the scale factors 1- Knowledge and beliefs, 2- Behaviors, and 3- Adherence, indicating less understanding of the correct use of antibiotics.

parental perception of the factors that influence antibiotic administration to children at home is directly associated with the correct use of medication and sociodemographic factors.

avaliar a percepção dos pais acerca dos fatores que influenciam o uso de antibióticos por seus filhos no domicílio e verificar a associação com características sociodemográficas.

estudo descritivo, transversal, realizado com 209 pais de crianças menores de 12 anos que utilizaram antibióticos em domicílio. Aplicaram-se um instrumento de caracterização sociodemográfica e clínica e a Escala de Percepção dos Pais sobre Antibióticos. Realizaram-se os testes de Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis e Spearman para análise dos dados.

a maioria dos participantes eram mães (90,9%). Pais com ensino fundamental e renda inferior a um salário mínimo apresentaram maiores medianas nos fatores da escala 1- Conhecimentos e crenças, 2- Comportamentos, e 3- Adesão, indicando menor compreensão sobre o uso correto de antibióticos.

a percepção dos pais sobre os fatores que influenciam a administração de antibióticos às crianças em domicílio está diretamente associada ao uso correto da medicação e aos fatores sociodemográficos.