Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Perilaku Orang Tua terhadap Penggunaan Antibiotik pada Anak di Puskesmas Kenangan Kecamatan Percut Sei Tuan Deli Serdang

Abstract

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics in children increases the risk of resistance, which currently causes around 700.00 deaths per year and is projected to rise to 10 million by 2050. Therefore, parents’ knowledge and behavior play a crucial role in preventing antibiotic misuse and improving the quality of child healthcare. Objective: This study aims to determine the level of parent knowledge and behavior regarding antibiotic use in children, as well as the influence of demographic characteristics and the relationship between knowledge and behavior at Kenangan Public Health Center. Methods: This research employed a descriptive design with a cross-sectional approach, conducted from December 2024 to February 2025 at Kenangan Public Health Center. Data were collected through questionnaires assessing respondents’ knowledge and behavior, and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (to assess variable influence), and Spearman’s rho correlation (to measure the strength of relationships). Results: Based on responses from 355 participants (response rate: 100%), most parents had a moderate level of knowledge (56.6%) about antibiotics, followed by low (27.04%) and high (16.3%) levels. Knowledge was influenced by age, education, and occupation. Regarding behavior, the majority of behavior also moderate category (64.5%), followed by good (21.7%) and poor (13.8%), influenced by gender, age, education, and occupation. A strong correlation was found between knowledge and behavior related to antibiotic use (r = 0.655). Conclusion: Most parents at Kenangan Public Health Center had a moderate level of knowledge and behavior regarding antibiotic use in children. However, gaps remain in interval use of antibiotics and side effect of antibiotics.