The Antibiotic Use Questionnaire - Parent Version: A measure of the drivers of parental decisions about the use of antibiotics with their children

Purpose The global increase in antimicrobial resistance is linked to the frequent use and misuse of antibiotics. The Antibiotic Use Questionnaire - Parent Version is informed by the principles of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and is designed to assess factors that are specific to the antibiotic use decisions of parents of children under the age of 12. Methods The questionnaire was administered online between August and September 2024 to parents/caregivers aged ≥ 18 years living in metropolitan and rural areas across Australia as part of a cross-sectional study. Data analysis was conducted using orthogonal principal components analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and general linear modelling to investigate variables that predict the intended antibiotic misuse behaviour of parents. Results The data of 509 participants was analysed, which showed four variables significantly predicted the intended antibiotic use behaviour of parents: attitudes/beliefs; social norms; perceived behavioural control; and knowledge. Social norms had the strongest effect on the antibiotic use intentions of parents in both the rural and metropolitan cohorts. However, discrete differences were found between rural and metropolitan respondents in relation to socially desirable responding. Conclusion Interventions seeking to reduce self-initiated practices with antibiotics should consider initiatives for parents that target norm conformity and are tailored specifically for the needs of the geographical region.