<p>Prevalence and Factors Associated with Parents Self-Medicating Under-Fives with Antibiotics in Bagamoyo District Council, Tanzania: a Cross-Sectional Study</p>

Abstract

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is a global problem. This extends to medication of under-fives by their parents. In particular, there is currently insufficient information for this problem. Purpose: To determine the proportion and factors associated with medication of under-fives with antibiotics by their parents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study among parents/caregivers of under-fives in 30 hamlets/streets of Bagamoyo District Council, in Tanzania was conducted between July and August, 2019. Respondents were the under-fives' parents/caregivers aged at least 18 years selected from households using probability proportional to a size cluster-sampling method. Respondents were required to report whether or not the under-fives had been unwell within the past 12 months and to describe the type or specific name of any medicine administered to their child. We used descriptive and analytical procedures to analyze the data. Results: The study included 730 parents/caregivers of under-fives. Their mean age was 32.2 (SD=7.4) years. The majority 668 (91.5%) were biological mothers and 574 (78.6%) having completed primary education. The proportion of parental SMA to under-fives was 47.7% (95% CI=43.7, 51.8). Knowledge on the appropriate use of antibiotics among parents was low. The most commonly used antibiotic was amoxicillin, 181 (62.0%). Independent factors associated with parental SMA to under-fives were average household income, distance to the nearest health facility, knowledge about use of antibiotics and the parent/caregiver's awareness of prescription-only medicines (POMs). Conclusion: Since the prevalence of SMA by parents to under-fives in Bagamoyo District is high, there is a need for health systems to enhance those measures that would control the sale of antibiotics without prescriptions. In addition, more than half of all study participants have a minimal understanding of the use of antibiotics and are unaware of POMs. Findings indicate a need to have routine continuous health education at the community level about the use of antibiotics.

Antibiotics Self Medication among Children: A Systematic Review

“…A box plot was created to analyze the distribution of ASM in the world region from which the studies were conducted ( Figure 2 ). A higher prevalence was found in Middle East (34%), Africa (22%), Asia (20%), and South America (17%), while the lowest prevalence was found in Europe (8%) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ,…”

Determinants of misuse of antibiotics among parents of children attending clinics in regional referral hospitals in Tanzania

“…The sample size of parents/guardians interviewed was calculated using the formula; n = Z 2 *P (1 − P)/d 2 . Where n was the sample size, p (47.7%) was prevalence from the study conducted among Tanzanian parents 18 , (1 − α) = 0.95, Z (1-α) = 1.96 for 95% confidence level, and the absolute error/precision (d) was assumed to be 0.022. A minimum sample size of 730 was required as previously described by Simon and Kazaura 18 .…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Self-Medication Among the Pediatric Population in China: A National Survey

“…In China, antibiotics have been pervasively used for children at home or in the clinical settings. In other developing countries, the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was as high as 80% ( 23 , 24 ), leading to the growing concern of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Parental self-medication of antibiotics further increases the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance.…”