Healthcare Seeking Behaviour of Primary Caregivers for Acute Otitis Media (AOM) in Children Aged 6 Months to Less Than 30 Months in Panama

The study is a cross sectional survey in which primary caregivers will be asked if they recall having observed an ear infection in the child in the age range 6 months to less than 30 months in the last 6 months. During the interview, the primary caregivers will be asked what they did for the child during that episode and whether they sought medical care or not. They will be also asked about the demographic characteristics (such as age range) of the child who experienced that episode and the household environment of the child at the time of the episode (such as number of household members), etc.

No questions will be asked about the episode itself if the primary caregiver does not recall that the child had one in the last six months.

Approximately 1300 primary caregivers will be interviewed in multiple clinics / well-baby clinics in Panama.

The clinics will be stratified into 'former clinical trial sites' and 'non-clinical trial sites' in urban areas of Panama, based on participation in the COMPAS trial. Both 'former clinical trial sites' and 'non-clinical trial sites' will include private and public facilities. Sites will be selected by convenience sampling and eligible subjects will be enrolled on an on-going basis, in proportion to the population coverage of each site. The participating sites have thus been stratified to be able to assess whether the healthcare seeking behaviour of primary caregivers enrolled at former clinical trial sites are different from those enrolled at non clinical trial sites.

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects who the investigator/interviewer believes can and will comply with the requirements of the protocol (e.g. availability of time for completion of the interview).
• Signed informed consent obtained from the subject.
• Subjects aged 18 years or above, being the primary caregiver of at least one child aged 6 months to less than 30 months, visiting a clinic.

Note:

i. Although the child will most likely be present at the time of interview, his/her presence is not required.

ii. If more than one primary caregiver fulfilling the inclusion criteria is present per child, only one will be enrolled in this study.

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects having previously participated in this survey.