ANTIBIOTIC KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE, AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS FOR CHILDREN AMONG CAREGIVERS AT HARARI REGION HEALTH FACILITIES

Abstract

Background: Acute upper respiratory tract infections are infections caused by viruses or bacteria, and most of the time they are self-limited and treated without the consumption of antibiotics. Due to inadequate knowledge and poor practice, caregivers’ use of antibiotics for these infections in their children promotes the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Overall, there is limited information on caregivers’ knowledge and practice of antibiotic use for children in Ethiopia, particularly in the Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia. Objective: To assess the current antibiotic knowledge, practice, and associated factors in the treatment of children with acute upper respiratory tract infections by caregivers at health facilities in the Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia, from January 30 to February 28, 2023. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed by using a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 421 caregivers who were selected by a systematic sampling method from the immunization unit of health facilities. Data were collected and entered into Epi Data, then descriptive and analytical statistics were done using SPSS version 26. A binary logistic regression model with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and a 95% confidence interval was used to identify the associated factors with the outcome variables. Results: Nearly half of the caregivers (48.2%) had poor knowledge of antibiotic treatment, and about 47.2% of them had poor practices. Caregivers’ age (AOR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.16), educational level (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.88), being housewives (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.76), health insurance (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.32, 4.80), number of under-five children (AOR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.96), and time taken to reach a health facility (AOR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.08) were significantly associated with poor knowledge. Further, educational level (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.45), child's age (AOR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.99), seeking treatment from a pharmacy or drug shop (AOR = 8.22, 95% CI: 1.04, 65.3), and caregivers' antibiotic knowledge (AOR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.82) were significantly associated with caregivers’ poor practice. Conclusion: This study's findings showed that a significant number of caregivers had poor knowledge and poor practice of antibiotic use. Caregivers' educational level was the main factor significantly associated with caregivers poor knowledge and poor practice. Also, caregivers' antibiotic knowledge was significantly associated with poor practice. To improve caregiver knowledge and practice, sufficient antibiotic drug information provision by healthcare providers is recommended.