Abstract
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the practices of caregivers of under-5 children in the study area, regarding the use of antibiotics. Material and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 respondents selected by multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires and analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (version 25.0). Results: Majority (81.8%) of the caregivers were within the ages of 20–39 years. Most (78.1%) were female and 82.2% were married. Most (88.9%) of the caregivers were the biological parents of the children. About 97% of them were assessed to have good antibiotic use practices; although a few poor practices were also reported. These include home use of antibiotics without prescription, prematurely discontinuing courses of antibiotics and directly requesting for antibiotics from physicians. Conclusion: Public health education and enlightenment regarding the demerits of poor stewardship of antibiotic use coupled with strict regulatory control measures in the dispensing and sale of antibiotics as over-the-counter medications are recommended to improve antibiotic use practices among caregivers of young children.
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