Understanding antibiotic-seeking behaviour: A qualitative case study of mothers of children aged 5 and under.
Helen Bosley, Catherine Henshall, Jane V Appleton and 1 others
PMID 35864378WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of children under five saw antibiotics as safe and trusted.
When unsure or anxious, they wanted prescriptions even without a diagnosis, and family pressure and being a good mother also influenced requests.
Key findings
01When diagnosis was uncertain, all mothers in the study sought antibiotics as first-line treatment.
02Mothers viewed antibiotics as safe and trusted, and as agents of recovery and healing.
03Anxiety and family expectations influenced mothers to seek antibiotics.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling from playgroups in a UK city, so it may not represent mothers in other areas or settings. All participants had completed at least secondary school education, and many had degrees, so views of less formally educated mothers were not captured. Socio-economic status was not collected, so the impact of poverty was not explored. The data were confined to mothers, not fathers, and cultural influence on antibiotic use was not fully clarified. The study describes perceptions and decision-making, not observed prescribing, antibiotic consumption or child outcomes.
Declared interests
An author reported receiving funding via the sponsorship of their employer, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. The paper also names the Department of Health, Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research as funders. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that nurses or doctors can reduce antibiotic use by explaining antimicrobial resistance. The study only describes mothers' views and does not test any consultation approach or prescribing outcome.