Awareness, knowledge, and attitude about shaken baby syndrome among parents in Qassim Region: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, awareness, and attitude about shaken baby syndrome (SBS) among parents in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted that evaluated the SBS knowledge and attitude among the Qassim population by distributing a questionnaire to a sample that matched the criteria. Results: In total, 373 parents participated in the study, with 82.0% mothers, 49.1% over 40 years old, 98.1% Saudi citizens, and 95.7% married. Out of the 373 participants, 70% were not aware of SBS. The majority (85%) had poor knowledge about SBS, while only 15% had an excellent understanding. However, 85.3% of the individuals expressed interest in learning more about SBS. The preferred sources of information were the internet and social media (39.2%) and doctors or medical personnel during vaccination visits (31%). Interestingly, there were no significant differences in parental knowledge based on gender (p = 0.722) or nationality (p = 0.957). Conclusions: Parents in the studied region had low knowledge of SBS. Educational programs and awareness campaigns are needed to inform them about the grave consequences of this form of child abuse.