AWARENESS AND USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AMONG JORDANIAN MOTHERS FOR TREATING UPPER-RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS

Aim: We sought to evaluate the awareness and use of antibiotics among Jordanian mothers for treating upper-respiratory-tract infections. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used for this research, involving a questionnaire sent to 300 Jordanian mothers by the Internet who was selected from a Face book group. Two hundred seventy responded; their ages were between 23 and 47 years old. The questionnaire measured respondents’ awareness and use of antibiotics in treating upper-respiratory-tract infections in their children. Results: A large number of participant mothers did ask physicians to prescribe antibiotics for their children. Most mothers also used antibiotics even without prescription and without differentiating between viral and bacterial infections, despite antibiotics only being useful in the latter. A significant number of mothers thought that antibiotics improved their children’s symptoms. Conclusion: Jordanian mothers cannot differentiate between bacterial and viral infections and did not use antibiotics properly. National campaigns are needed to support a positive public attitude toward the usage of antibiotics. Keywords: knowledge, antibiotics, mother, children