Abstract

Background: Otitis Media is an infection of the middle ear, and it accounts for the majority of childhood morbidity that affects their quality of life. However, otitis media in children presents diverse challenges to parents, which are associated with a lack of parental knowledge and attitude toward it, and therefore poor health outcomes.
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward otitis media among parents in the Jazan region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA).
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study using an online survey of Google Platform was conducted and distributed to the participants living in the Jazan region of SA. Saudi parents of ≥18 years old with children of ≤ 10 years of age were included in the study.
Results: A total of 380 participants participated in the study. Of the participants, 56.6% and 56.1% were knowledgeable about three and more symptoms and causes of otitis media, respectively. Regarding attitude toward seeking treatment, only 45% of the parents had a good attitude toward otitis media. The majority (56%) stated that they would seek treatment and rely on healthcare professionals as the source of information, while 78% would seek treatment from a specialist doctor.
Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge and attitude regarding otitis media in children were poor in the majority of parents in Jazan, SA. Therefore, further educational programs to increase knowledge of otitis media are recommended.

Key words: Otitis media, childhood, morbidity, hearing, Saudi Arabia.