International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 12, Issue 7 (July 2025), Pages: 126-133

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 Original Research Paper

Towards safe and effective use of OTC medications for children: Community insights from parents in Al-Baha

 Author(s): 

 Mohammad Barnawi 1, *, Salah Eldin Abdel Hag Abdel Haleem 2, 3, Afaf S. Alzahrani 4, Haya A. Alzahrani 4, Maali A. Alghamdi 4, Sahar A. Alghamdi 4, Raghad M. Alzahrani 4, Raghad S. Alghamdi 4, Khalid A. Alzahrani 1

 Affiliation(s):

  1Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
  2Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
  3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan
  4Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia

 Full text

    Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1456-121X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.07.012

 Abstract

Incorrect use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications in children can result in harmful outcomes. This study aimed to assess parental knowledge and practices regarding OTC medication use in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and August 2024 using a validated, self-administered questionnaire distributed via social media. Adults aged 18 years and above residing in the Al-Baha region who consented to participate were included. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, with knowledge and practice levels classified based on predefined cutoff scores. Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and knowledge or practice levels, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 791 participants were included, the majority being female (63.2%) and university graduates (74.7%). While 68.9% demonstrated good knowledge, 88.6% showed poor practice. Higher education was significantly associated with better practice (p = 0.03), and gender was significantly associated with knowledge levels (p = 0.03). Fever was the most commonly identified indication for OTC medication use (81.5%), yet only 15.4% correctly identified the appropriate paracetamol dosage. Healthcare providers were the primary source of drug information for 74.3% of participants. The findings highlight a clear gap between knowledge and practice, underscoring the need for targeted educational interventions. Community-based education, standardized counseling protocols, culturally appropriate materials, digital tools, and online peer support platforms may enhance the safe use of OTC medications. Continuous feedback on educational resources is essential to ensure alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.

 © 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Parental knowledge, OTC medication, Pediatric safety, Healthcare education, Community health

 Article history

 Received 2 February 2025, Received in revised form 10 May 2025, Accepted 13 June 2025

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. The ethical approval was obtained by the Ethics Review Board of Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia (number: REC/SUR/BU-FM/2024/10). Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and their confidentiality was ensured.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Barnawi M, Haleem SEAHA, Alzahrani AS, Alzahrani HA, Alghamdi MA, Alghamdi SA, Alzahrani RM, Alghamdi RS, and Alzahrani KA (2025). Towards safe and effective use of OTC medications for children: Community insights from parents in Al-Baha. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(7): 126-133

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 Figures

  Fig. 1

 Tables

  Table 1  Table 2  Table 3  Table 4

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