A Description of Mothers' Knowledge and Practice about Antibiotic Use in Children in Northwest of Iran

Background Inadequate antibiotic usage in children might have severe side effects and lead to antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Iran is the second country in terms of the rate of antibiotic use globally, and approximately one-fourth of the population of this country is under 14-year-old. Therefore, the existing problems in this regard could be identified by evaluating the knowledge and practices of mothers concerning antibiotics. The present study aimed to investigate the knowledge and practice of mothers about antibiotics use among children. Materials and Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the pediatric hospital of Tabriz, Iran. A total of 450 mothers of children under 12 years old participated in this convenience sampling. They completed questionnaires (13 questions) of knowledge and practices (8 questions) designed by researchers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20.0. Results The mean scores of mothers' knowledge (ranged 0-13), and practices (from 0- 8) were 6.83 +/- 2.89 and 5.83 +/- 1.63, respectively. Moreover, the education level and occupation of mothers had a significant relationship with their knowledge and practices (P<0.05). Conclusion Considering the low level of knowledge and practices of mothers and the elevated antibiotic resistance during recent decades, major policies are required for medication distribution and counseling systems for parents. Furthermore, some plans are needed for public health education.