TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of parental misconceptions about antibiotic use
AU - Vaz, Louise Elaine
AU - Kleinman, Kenneth P.
AU - Lakoma, Matthew D.
AU - Dutta-Linn, M. Maya
AU - Nahill, Chelsea
AU - Hellinger, James
AU - Finkelstein, Jonathan A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Differences in antibiotic knowledge and attitudes between parents of Medicaid-insured abstract and commercially insured children have been previously reported. It is unknown whether understanding has improved and whether previously identified differences persist. METHODS: A total of 1500 Massachusetts parents with a child ,6 years old insured by a Medicaid managed care or commercial health plan were surveyed in spring 2013.We examined antibiotic-related knowledge and attitudes by using x2 tests. Multivariable modeling was used to assess current sociodemographic predictors of knowledge and evaluate changes in predictors from a similar survey in 2000. RESULTS: Medicaid-insured parents in 2013 (n = 345) were younger, were less likely to be white, and had less education than those commercially insured (n = 353), P , .01. Fewer Medicaid-insured parents answered questions correctly except for one related to bronchitis, for which there was no difference (15% Medicaid vs 16% commercial, P , .66). More parents understood that green nasal discharge did not require antibiotics in 2013 compared with 2000, but this increase was smaller among Medicaid-insured (32% vs 22% P = .02) than commercially insured (49% vs 23%, P , .01) parents. Medicaid-insured parents were more likely to request unnecessary antibiotics in 2013 (P , .01). Multivariable models for predictors of knowledge or attitudes demonstrated complex relationships between insurance status and sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions about antibiotic use persist and continue to be more prevalent among parents of Medicaid-insured children. Improvement in understanding has been more pronounced in more advantaged populations. Tailored efforts for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations remain warranted to decrease parental drivers of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
AB - BACKGROUND: Differences in antibiotic knowledge and attitudes between parents of Medicaid-insured abstract and commercially insured children have been previously reported. It is unknown whether understanding has improved and whether previously identified differences persist. METHODS: A total of 1500 Massachusetts parents with a child ,6 years old insured by a Medicaid managed care or commercial health plan were surveyed in spring 2013.We examined antibiotic-related knowledge and attitudes by using x2 tests. Multivariable modeling was used to assess current sociodemographic predictors of knowledge and evaluate changes in predictors from a similar survey in 2000. RESULTS: Medicaid-insured parents in 2013 (n = 345) were younger, were less likely to be white, and had less education than those commercially insured (n = 353), P , .01. Fewer Medicaid-insured parents answered questions correctly except for one related to bronchitis, for which there was no difference (15% Medicaid vs 16% commercial, P , .66). More parents understood that green nasal discharge did not require antibiotics in 2013 compared with 2000, but this increase was smaller among Medicaid-insured (32% vs 22% P = .02) than commercially insured (49% vs 23%, P , .01) parents. Medicaid-insured parents were more likely to request unnecessary antibiotics in 2013 (P , .01). Multivariable models for predictors of knowledge or attitudes demonstrated complex relationships between insurance status and sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions about antibiotic use persist and continue to be more prevalent among parents of Medicaid-insured children. Improvement in understanding has been more pronounced in more advantaged populations. Tailored efforts for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations remain warranted to decrease parental drivers of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
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U2 - 10.1542/peds.2015-0883
DO - 10.1542/peds.2015-0883
M3 - Article
C2 - 26195539
AN - SCOPUS:84938898220
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 136
SP - 221
EP - 231
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 2
ER -