Parents’ Knowledge,Attitudes,and Practices of Self-Medication of Antibiotics and their Health Literacy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study assessed Jordanian parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic use and their health literacy levels, and examined their associations with sociodemographic factors. A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 502 parents recruited from primary healthcare centers and social media. Data were collected through Google Forms using the translated Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards Antibiotics Questionnaire and the Arabic Health Literacy Scale–Short Version. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used for analysis. Mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 57 (SD = 23.18), 58.55 (SD = 18), and 67.22 (SD = 17.96), respectively. Most parents demonstrated moderate knowledge (33.9%) and attitudes (34.7%), while 40% had higher practice scores. However, 77% showed inadequate or problematic health literacy. A significant positive correlation was found between health literacy and parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic self-medication, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions to promote responsible antibiotic use.