An assessment of parents’ knowledge, awareness and practice regarding paracetamol use in children

Introduction: Paracetamol is an effective antipyretic and analgesic medication also known as acetaminophen and it is over-the-counter medication although it is widely prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain and fever but at same time it could have minor side effects like lowering blood pressure or increasing heart rate or allergic reaction (rash and swelling). Previous studies confirmed that there is a lack of information among the general population about how to take paracetamol and deal with the dosage which includes what is the maximum dose and how many times to take it daily (frequency). Most previous studies were done out of Saudi Arabia and to the best of our knowledge there are a lack of studies on the topic in Saudi Arabia. For that reason, our aim in this study was to assess parents’ knowledge, awareness and practice regarding paracetamol use in children and to evaluate whether doctors and pharmacists in hospitals or pharmacies educate the parents about this medication or not. Methodology: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study was done via a validated questionnaire on the general population in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. This study was conducted in July-August 2021. The questionnaire has been used in previous studies and it is validated. The questionnaire is divided into four parts that comprises 32 questions; the first about socio-demographic data, the second part to assess parents’ awareness, the third part to assess parents’ knowledge and the fourth part assessing parents’ practises. Results: The study consisted of 502 participants, 52.4% females and 47.6% males. More than half of the participants (58.8%) do not use paracetamol without doctors’ consultation. Regarding Knowledge score among participants, the mean score was 2.089, out of 6. There is a significant relationship between Knowledge and Mother’s educational level (P= 0.016). On the other hand 48.6% used syrup as their most commonly used form of treatment. Conclusion: This study emphasises the need for increasing caregivers’ education on paracetamol use and its side effects. Overall the knowledge score was unsatisfactory. The study found a significant association between parents who had a university degree and their higher knowledge scores. Although most of the participants would consult their doctors before administering paracetamol, it showed no positive impact on their knowledge and practises towards antipyretics dose and side effects, which indicates a need for campaigns or educational programs on fever management. Keywords: Paracetamol, Acetaminophen, Parents, Children.