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2025, Vol: 9, Issue: 9
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Review Article 


Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia

Ghadeer A. Banjar, Hala N. Qadhi, Tala A. Boshnaq, Jwana A. Alhindi, Raneem M. Abdulhadi, Maysam T. Alsulimani, Norah G. Nahhas.


Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to uncover the elements that influence parents’ decision-making when it comes to non-urgent visits to the emergency department (ED).
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken on parents from the Makkah region who had taken their children to the pediatric emergency room for non-urgent concerns in the previous year. The study used an online questionnaire to collect demographics, parents’ views of their children’s health, decision-making behavior, and previous experiences with healthcare services.
Results: The majority of involved parents were female (66.7%), 40-50 years old (33.1%), and married (74.2%). The majority of children (69.4%) were male and between the ages of 1 and 5 years old. Fever (59.4%) was the most common complaint, 62.2% of parents thought their children’s condition was not serious, and 54.5% did not explore home cures or pharmaceuticals before going to the ED. While 45.5% of parents sought guidance before attendance, the majority (63.1%) consulted informal sources rather than healthcare professionals. The most common cause for going to the ED was the parents’ view that the presenting condition required immediate attention (28.7%). A significant connection was discovered between hospitalization and parental opinion of severity and physician discretion (p-value = 0.001).
Conclusion: A variety of psychosocial, systemic, and informational elements influenced parents’ decisions to visit the pediatric emergency department for non-urgent concerns. Structured educational activities should be used to improve parental health literacy.

Key words: Parents, decision, pediatric, emergency, non-urgent, Makkah


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Banjar GA, Qadhi HN, Boshnaq TA, Alhindi JA, Abdulhadi RM, Alsulimani MT, Nahhas NG. Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2025; 9(7): 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589

Web Style

Banjar GA, Qadhi HN, Boshnaq TA, Alhindi JA, Abdulhadi RM, Alsulimani MT, Nahhas NG. Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=271682 [Access: October 14, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Banjar GA, Qadhi HN, Boshnaq TA, Alhindi JA, Abdulhadi RM, Alsulimani MT, Nahhas NG. Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2025; 9(7): 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Banjar GA, Qadhi HN, Boshnaq TA, Alhindi JA, Abdulhadi RM, Alsulimani MT, Nahhas NG. Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. (2025), [cited October 14, 2025]; 9(7): 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


Harvard Style

Banjar, G. A., Qadhi, . H. N., Boshnaq, . T. A., Alhindi, . J. A., Abdulhadi, . R. M., Alsulimani, . M. T. & Nahhas, . N. G. (2025) Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC, 9 (7), 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


Turabian Style

Banjar, Ghadeer A., Hala N. Qadhi, Tala A. Boshnaq, Jwana A. Alhindi, Raneem M. Abdulhadi, Maysam T. Alsulimani, and Norah G. Nahhas. 2025. Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (7), 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


Chicago Style

Banjar, Ghadeer A., Hala N. Qadhi, Tala A. Boshnaq, Jwana A. Alhindi, Raneem M. Abdulhadi, Maysam T. Alsulimani, and Norah G. Nahhas. "Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9 (2025), 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Banjar, Ghadeer A., Hala N. Qadhi, Tala A. Boshnaq, Jwana A. Alhindi, Raneem M. Abdulhadi, Maysam T. Alsulimani, and Norah G. Nahhas. "Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9.7 (2025), 1700-1708. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Banjar, G. A., Qadhi, . H. N., Boshnaq, . T. A., Alhindi, . J. A., Abdulhadi, . R. M., Alsulimani, . M. T. & Nahhas, . N. G. (2025) Factors affecting parents’ decision to bring children to the pediatric emergency departments for non-urgent concerns in the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (7), 1700-1708. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1752849589




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