Awareness and attitudes of Saudi parents toward otitis media in children

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

BACKGROUND

 Pediatric ear infections constitute a significant public health concern worldwide, adversely impacting children's health and well-being. Parents play a crucial role in prevention, ensuring timely healthcare access, and therefore minimizing potential complications. This study aims to assess parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards pediatric ear infections in Makkah region.

METHODOLOGY

 A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Saudi parents who were ≥18 years old and lived in Makkah region. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 319 participants through social media platforms; data were collected from June to September 2023 via an online self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, along with knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to pediatric ear infections.

RESULTS

 A total of 319 parents were included in the study. The majority of the participants were female 228 (71.5%), and 208 (65.2%) had a university education level. The most common age groups were 18-30 years and 31-40 years. More than half of the participants (167, 52.4%) demonstrated adequate knowledge regarding pediatric ear infections. Positive attitudes and practices were reported by 183 (57.4%) and 285 (89.3%) of participants, respectively. Adequate knowledge was significantly higher among participants with younger ages (p<0.05). It was found that having a younger age (18-30 years) was an independent predictor of good knowledge (OR: 1.26 (1.96-3.65), p=0.009) and positive practice (OR: 1.53 (1.01-2.33), p=0.045).

CONCLUSION

 We found that the majority of parents in Makkah region had a good level of knowledge regarding childhood ear infections, with an overall positive attitude and practice. The study revealed that younger parents had superior knowledge and younger age was an independent predictor for good knowledge and positive attitude.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Risk Factors for Otitis Media among Caretakers of Children in Puducherry- A Descriptive Cross Sectional Study

Otitis media is a common childhood disease in developing countries and is the most important cause of preventable hearing loss among Indian children. To study the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding risk factors for otitis media among caretakers of children in Puducherry. This was a questionnaire based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from April 2023 to June 2023. All the caregivers of children aged 2-12 years presented or diagnosed with otitis media under our inclusion criteria were interviewed. Overall, most caretakers displayed good knowledge (67%), positive attitude (62%) and good care-seeking practices (49%). There was a positive correlation with sociodemographic parameters. The odd's ratio for overcrowding was high (OR = 4, p = 0.042 for knowledge and attitude, OR = 3.929, p = 0.041 for practices). Higher score was seen among middle class with odd's ratio 1.417 for knowledge and attitude and 4.875 for practices (p = 0.041). Graduate parents had higher score with the odd's ratio that was statistically significant. Most of the caregivers had a good knowledge regarding symptoms of otitis media and an acceptable level of caregivers' attitude and care seeking practices. Higher scores were associated with overcrowding, socioeconomic status, parental education. Improvement in risk factors and providing health education will reduce prevalence of OM in children and thereby reduce preventable hearing loss in children.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-024-04551-9.

Parents' Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acute Otitis Media and Its Treatment in Children: A Survey at Primary Healthcare Centers in the Aseer Region

BACKGROUND

Acute otitis media (AOM) in children aged 5 years old and younger poses a critical health concern, affecting both the general health of children and the emotional well-being of parents. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental understanding, attitudes, and experiences related to AOM and its management, including the use of antibiotics without physician prescription.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was carried out during the months of May and June of 2023. To collect data for this study, a validated questionnaire was converted into a Google form and given to parents of children aged 5 years and younger who sought healthcare for their children in primary healthcare centers in Abha city, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

A total of 406 parents participated in this study, 64.8% of them were women and 45.3% of them were in the age range of 25 to 34 years. The majority (90.1%) resided in urban areas and a significant proportion (72.2%) had a university education. Among the respondents, 22.7% agreed that bacteria are the cause of AOM, while 21.7% agreed that it is caused by viruses. A total of 51.0% acknowledged the need for antibiotics in the management of AOM. In terms of treatment, 84.5% and 83.5% believed that analgesics and antibiotics, respectively, were the most effective for otalgia. A substantial portion, 43.1%, 34.7%, and 37.7%, respectively, believed that antibiotics could reduce pain, relieve fever, and prevent recurrence. Almost three-quarters sought medical advice primarily from paediatricians and 37.7% obtained information about AOM from the Internet. Furthermore, almost a third (28.8%) chose not to wait for the physician's appointment and immediately administered antibiotics without the physician's prescription due to concerns about disease progression. Approximately two fifths (38.4%) requested physicians to prescribe antibiotics, a pattern that was in agreement with the actual rate of antibiotic prescriptions (38.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

A notable deficiency in knowledge and unsafe practices about AOM and its management is evident among parents in the Aseer region. This underscores the pressing need for an educational program aimed at improving parental health literacy regarding otitis media causes and treatments, as well as its preventive measures.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Parents towards Childhood Hearing Loss and Pediatric Hearing Services in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The successful implementation of pediatric audiology services depends on parental engagement and support. It is essential to analyze the gaps in knowledge level and attitude of the parents in United Arab Emirates (UAE), towards pediatric hearing loss and pediatric audiology services. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of parents in Sharjah, UAE.A cross-sectional survey was administered to 295 parents in a tertiary care hospital setting. The self-reported questionnaire consisted of 26 items. 34.2% of the parents ascertaining good knowledge and 65.8% reported poor knowledge regarding the various factors related to the childhood hearing loss. Further, 86.2% of parents reported positive attitudes regarding accessing pediatric audiology services. A significant association was found between age groups, educational status, and knowledge levels. The study highlights the poor knowledge demonstrated by parents in the UAE regarding hearing loss and its associated risk factors. Findings outline the critical need in the region to enhance parental awareness. More health promotion activities and community outreach campaigns are necessary to increase the uptake of pediatric audiology services in the region.