General Antibiotic Use Behaviors among Parents of Pediatric Dental Patients: A Sociodemographic Assessment

Introduction: Misuse of antibiotics in childhood increases antimicrobial resistance. Parents play a critical role in antibiotic use behaviors. This study assesses parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding antibiotic use for their children. It also examines how these factors vary by sociodemographic characteristics among parents of patients at a pediatric dentistry clinic.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted with parents of children presenting to a pediatric dentistry clinic. The interview was conducted face-to-face. The questionnaire assessed antibiotic knowledge, attitudes toward antibiotic use and misuse, and sources of information. Sociodemographic data were collected, and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate associations between variables. The collected data were analyzed statistically.
Results: The study was completed with the parents of 172 children. Most parents obtained antibiotic information from physicians (83.9%) and commonly recognized penicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Reading package leaflets (80%) and avoiding dose alterations without medical advice (95.8%) were highly reported. Significant associations were found between parental gender and antibiotic recognition (p<0.05), as well as between education level and both antibiotic awareness and understanding of the consequences of irrational use (p<0.05). Only 12.4% of parents kept antibiotics at home, and this behavior was not associated with educational status.
Discussion and Conclusion: Parental knowledge, attitudes, and general antibiotic use behaviors are significantly influenced by sociodemographic factors, particularly education level and gender. Targeted educational interventions may enhance rational antibiotic use and support public health efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Parental knowledge; Pediatric dentistry; Rational antibiotic Use; Sociodemographic factors