A pre-post intervention study: Knowledge among parents about child infections and antibiotic use facilitated by maternal and child health nurses.
Matilde Bøgelund Hansen, Ida Scheel Rasmussen, Tina Marloth and 4 others
PMID 36097329WHAT IT FOUND
Parents' knowledge of infections and antibiotics rose after maternal and child health nurses introduced a booklet at the 8-month home visit.
Average correct answers increased by 1.35 on a 21-item scale. The study measured knowledge only, not prescribing or behaviour.
Key findings
01Average correct answers increased significantly by 1.35 questions (95% CI: 0.91 to 1.79) from 13.46 at baseline to 14.81 at follow-up.
02Correct responses improved for 20 of the 21 knowledge questions after the intervention.
03The study did not measure how the intervention influenced parental behaviour or antibiotic use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No control group, so the increase in knowledge cannot be separated from normal learning, maturation, or other information parents encountered. Thirty percent of baseline participants were lost to follow-up, and the analysed sample was small. Participants were drawn from wealthy, highly educated municipalities, so results may not apply to parents with lower baseline knowledge or different socioeconomic backgrounds. Knowledge was self-reported and may be misclassified, especially among parents who do not read Danish or English fluently. The study measured knowledge only, not whether parents changed how they consult a GP or use antibiotics.
Declared interests
Funded by Tværspuljen and the Danish Ministry of Health. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the booklet reduced antibiotic use or changed how parents seek care. The study measured only knowledge scores on a questionnaire and did not track prescribing, consultations, or behaviour.