Determinants of trends in reported antibiotic use among sick children under five years of age across low-income and middle-income countries in 2005–17: A systematic analysis of user characteristics based on 132 national surveys from 73 countries

Objectives This study aimed to analyze any reported antibiotic use for children aged <5 years with fever, diarrhea or cough with fast or difficult breathing (outcome) from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) during 2005–2017 by user characteristics: rural/urban residence, maternal education, household wealth, and healthcare source visited. Methods Based on 132 demographic and health surveys and multiple indicator cluster surveys from 73 LMICs, the outcome by user characteristics for all country-years was estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian linear regression model. Results Across LMICs during 2005–2017, the greatest relative increases in the outcome occurred in rural areas, poorest quintiles and least educated populations, particularly in low-income countries and South-East Asia. In low-income countries, rural areas had a 72% relative increase from 17.8% (Uncertainty Interval (UI): 5.2%–44.9%) in 2005 to 30.6% (11.7%–62.1%) in 2017, compared to a 29% relative increase in urban areas from 27.1% (8.7%–58.2%) in 2005 to 34.9% (13.3%–67.3%) in 2017. Despite these increases, the outcome was consistently highest in urban areas, wealthiest quintiles, and populations with the highest maternal education. Conclusion These estimates suggest that the increasing reported antibiotic use for sick children aged <5 years in LMICs during 2005–2017 was driven by gains among groups often underserved by formal health services.