{
  "abstract": "Background: Inappropriate antibiotic use in children is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. Parents play a central role in pediatric antibiotic consumption, yet evidence on their perceptions, disposal practices, and rational drug use awareness is limited. We aimed to assess these outcomes and identify associated factors.\n\nMethods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 371 parents attending a pediatric outpatient clinic in Türkiye. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, antibiotic use behaviors, the Parental Perceptions on Antibiotics (PAPA) Scale, and the Rational Drug Use Awareness (RDUA) Scale. Chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, correlation tests and multiple linear regression were used.\n\nResults: Of the parents, 11.3% reported giving antibiotics to their children without medical consultation and 24.8% requested antibiotics from physicians. Knowledge gaps were substantial: 57.7% believed antibiotics treat viral infections; 47.7% thought they treat all infection types. Only 11.6% practiced proper antibiotic disposal, and 56.1% were aware of resistance. PAPA and RDUA scores were positively correlated (r = 0.389, p < 0.001). In regression, PAPA was positively associated with higher education (β = 3.53, p = 0.007), proper disposal (β = 5.01, p = 0.013) and side-effect knowledge (β = 2.87, p = 0.032), and negatively with giving antibiotics without consultation (β = −5.27, p = 0.010) and antibiotic demand (β = −4.20, p = 0.005). RDUA was positively associated with the presence of chronic illness in the child (β = 4.04, p < 0.001), whereas it was negatively associated with using the internet as an information source (β = −3.33, p = 0.029).\n\nConclusions: Parental misconceptions about antibiotics remain widespread and are closely linked to rational drug use awareness. Education, information sources and disposal behaviors are potentially modifiable factors. Parent-focused interventions on viral-bacterial distinction and proper disposal are needed.\n\nKey messages: • Over half of parents wrongly believed antibiotics treat viral infections, a key target for health education.\n\n• Parental perceptions correlated with rational drug use awareness, supporting integrated approaches.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Z Irmak"
    },
    {
      "name": "C Koçak"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f73yrhjgx4qbm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1398",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13699380/",
  "id": "f73yrhjgx4qbm",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1398",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "6. Poster Displays"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "DK. Health literacy"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2402|Antibiotic Use and Resistance"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223705040",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13699380/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13699380",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f73yrhjgx4qbm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:00Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13699380",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1398"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:48Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13699380",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13699380"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2402|Antibiotic Use and Resistance",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Parental Antibiotic Perceptions, Disposal Practices and Rational Drug Use Awareness in Türkiye",
  "title_text": "Parental Antibiotic Perceptions, Disposal Practices and Rational Drug Use Awareness in Türkiye",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f73yrhjgx4qbm",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}