Knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers during care of children with acute respiratory infections under 5 years old

Abstract

BackgroundAcute respiratory infection (ARI) is the most common disease in children under 5 years. Maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) affect children's morbidity and mortality from acute respiratory infections. The study aimed to assess the mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in caring for children under five with ARIs and identify associated factors. MethodsA cross-sectional study interviewed mothers of children under 5 with ARIs. A questionnaire was used to assess the maternal KAPs. Each question was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The KAPs levels were measured in mean values. ResultsA total of 172 mothers were included in the study. Mean item scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ARIs were 3.8 ± 0.6, 4.2 ± 0.4, and 3.9 ± 0.4, respectively. Only 38.4%, 30.3%, and 47.5% of mothers had good KAPs scores about watching for danger signs, using antibiotics, and giving cough syrups, respectively. Mothers with higher education levels and higher income obtained higher KAPs scores than their counterparts (4.1 ± 0.4 vs. 3.5 ± 0.7) (p = 0.01), (4.2 ± 0.4 vs. 3.7 ± 0.4) (p = 0.03), respectively. Factors affecting maternal KAPs were education level, occupation, and family income (p < 0.05). ConclusionAlthough maternal KAPs regarding ARIs are generally good, some inappropriate issues in the mother’s practices are reported in this study. The study also identifies factors affecting maternal KAPs. These findings may be necessary for interventions toward improving the quality of care for children with acute respiratory infections.