Sibylle Kautz?Freimuth|Marcus Redaèlli|Christina Samel|Daniele Civello|Sibel Altin|Stephanie Stock
Parental views on acute otitis media (AOM) and its therapy in children - results of an exploratory survey in German childcare facilities
University Hospital Cologne|University Hospital Cologne|Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf|University Hospital Cologne|University Hospital Cologne|University Hospital Cologne|University Hospital Cologne
acute otitis media aom one main reasons medical consultation antibiotic use childhood although 80 aom cases selflimiting antibiotic prescription still high either physician parentrelated factors study aims identify parental knowledge beliefs attitudes towards experiences aom therapy thus gain insights parents perspectives within german health care systeman exploratory survey conducted among germanspeaking parents children aged 2 7 years sent children childcare facility childcare facilities recruited convenience sampling different urban rural sites germany parents children facilities invited participate data evaluated using descriptive statistical analysesonehundredthirtyeight parents participated 754 n 104 aomexperienced 754 n 104 two children sixtysix percent generally agree bacteria cause aom 202 generally agree viruses cause aom 305 generally agree viruses cause aom eight percent generally agree aom resolves spontaneously whereas 536 generally agree 925 generally 457 partly 428 agree aom needs antibiotic treatment respect antibiotic effects 566 generally agree antibiotics rapidly relieve earache 601 generally agree antibiotics affect gastrointestinal tract 775 generally agree antibiotics possibly become ineffective frequent use 40 generally support 40 generally reject waitandsee strategy aom treatment parentalreported experiences reveal antibiotics far often prescribed 702 actively requested parents 269parental views aom therapy antibiotic effects reveal uncertainties especially respect causes natural course disease antibiotic effects aom results indicate evidencebased information needed parents health literacy treatment children aom enhanced discrepancy reported parental requests antibiotics reported actual prescriptions contradicts hypothesis high parental influence antibiotic use aom