Awareness and attitude of Saudi parents toward otitis media in children in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Otitis Media is an infection of the middle ear, and it accounts for the majority of childhood morbidity that affects their quality of life. However, otitis media in children presents diverse challenges to parents, which are associated with a lack of parental knowledge and attitude toward it, and therefore poor health outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards otitis media among parents in the Jazan region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study using an online survey of Google Platform was conducted and distributed to the participants living in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Saudi parents of ≥18 years old with children of ≤ 10 years of age were included in the study. Results: A total of 380 participants participated in the study. Of the participants, 56.6% and 56.1% were knowledgeable about three and more symptoms and causes of otitis media, respectively. Regarding attitude towards seeking treatment, only 45% of the parents had a good attitude towards otitis media. The majority (56%) stated that they would seek treatment and rely on healthcare professionals as the source of information, while 78% would seek treatment from a specialist doctor. Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge and attitude regarding otitis media in children were poor in the majority of parents in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, further educational programs to increase knowledge of otitis media are recommended.

Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards Pediatric Ear Infections in the Makkah Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Health professionals and community health workers emerged as primary sources of health education, indicating a reliance of the participants on medical expertise and guidance. These findings are consistent with prior research conducted in similar settings [ 20 , 23 , 25 ].…”

“…In terms of awareness, 90% of the participants reported previous knowledge of OM. Two hundred and two (63.3%) of the parents recognized at least two symptoms of OM which is consistent with a prior study conducted in Jazan [ 23 ]. This relatively high level of awareness is promising and could potentially lead to the early detection and treatment of OM.…”

“…This finding is consistent with other similar studies conducted in Riyadh, the capital and most populated city in Saudi Arabia [20,21]. However, this contrasts with studies conducted in Jazan, which found that most of the participants exhibited inadequate knowledge of OM [22,23]. This disparity suggests a variability in parental knowledge of ear infections based on the region and population studied.…”