Abstract
Introduction
Antibiotics have been used for more than 50 years in human medicine and have shown tremendous benefits for human health, both for disease treatment and prevention. However, antibiotics are dispensed and used without prescription in many parts of the world, especially inappropriate antibiotics for children. This study aimed to explore parents’ and caregivers’ perceptions and behaviors related to antibiotic use among under five-year-old children.
Methods
The study used a qualitative approach with purposive sampling. The study was conducted in December 2022 in Rotang village, Kean Svay district, Kandal Province. We used open-ended questions with an interview question guide to collect the data. In-depth interviews were conducted through face-to-face interviews with 15 caregivers and parents who had children under five years old. The interview responses were recorded and transcribed with the help of audio recorded in the English language in Microsoft Word. Then, they were categorized and coded for key themes by thematic content analysis via NVivo 10.
Results
The median age of the participants was 31 years, 14 of whom were women (93.3%). Close to half of them had a primary education, and many worked as garment factory workers. Most participants did not know the exact purpose of using antibiotics; they only acknowledged that antibiotics were used for wound healing and traffic-related injuries or for cuts that could heal faster. None of the participants were prescribed antibiotics as medicines against bacteria or viral infections. All respondents had low knowledge about the medical conditions to be treated with antibiotics. 13 participants went to check up with physicians, diagnosed and followed up with prescriptions before providing medications to their children. Most could identify the term “antibiotic misuse”, but they could not identify its consequences or the term “antibiotic resistance”, which they were never familiar with. The majority of the participants heard the word Thnam Phas (antibiotics) from the health care providers that they used to visit.
Conclusion
This study investigated the experiences of mothers and caregivers in Rotang village regarding antibiotic use for children under five years of age, revealing the current practice and behavior of assessing treatment and administering medication to their sick children. Educational programs on the consequences of antibiotic misuse could be provided through community health workers and improved by strictly prescribing antibiotics for village health care providers.