Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40200802›Full record

ArticleAnnals of medicine2025

Exploring parents' knowledge, attitudes and practices on honey and botulism in the West Bank, Palestine: a cross-sectional study.

Bashar Yaser Hasan Awad, Farah Bilal Yousef Shahin, Mohammad Yaser Hasan Awad, Haya Jebreen Mohammed Warasna, Amal Mahfoud, Afnan W M Jobran, Tarek A Owais

Abstract read
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Article in Annals of medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Bashar Yaser Hasan AwadFaculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine.ORCID 0000-0003-0011-4203
Farah Bilal Yousef ShahinFaculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine.ORCID 0000-0003-2572-3371
Mohammad Yaser Hasan AwadFaculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine.ORCID 0000-0002-2118-7391
Haya Jebreen Mohammed WarasnaFaculty of Medicine, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestine.ORCID 0000-0001-5148-7718
Amal MahfoudFaculty of Medicine, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.ORCID 0009-0000-5705-9466
Afnan W M JobranFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.ORCID 0000-0003-1068-2984
Tarek A OwaisFaculty of Pharmacy, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.ORCID 0000-0002-6903-3228

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough nutritionally beneficial, honey may harbor Clostridium botulinum spores, posing risks to infant botulism (IB). Infants under one year are vulnerable due to immature gut flora, with IB potentially causing severe symptoms, such as respiratory failure. Despite global awareness, cultural beliefs influenced caregivers' practices in Palestine. This study evaluated Palestinian parents' knowledge, beliefs, and feeding practices regarding honey to guide targeted interventions.

methodsThis cross-sectional study  (August-September 2024) surveyed 469 Palestinian parents (aged ≥18 years) from 10 West Bank cities, excluding 88 ineligible responses. A validated questionnaire assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Data were analyzed using the R software (frequency, Chi-squared/Fisher's tests; p < 0.05).

resultsMost participants were female (89%), under 30 years old (53%), and highly educated (77%). While 58% knew of honey-linked IB, only 32% identified C. botulinum as the causative agent. Notably, 15.8% fed honey to infants aged <12 months and 62.5% introduced complementary feeding at 6-12 months. Age and income-influenced practices, with many believing that honey aids digestion or supplements nutrition.

conclusionsThe findings reveal gaps in knowledge and widespread cultural beliefs about the benefits of honey, which contribute to unsafe feeding practices. Health interventions in Palestine should incorporate these insights to improve awareness and to prevent IB.

Indexed as

BotulismHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHoneyParentsAdolescentAdultArabsClostridium botulinumCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedMiddle EastSurveys and QuestionnairesClostridium botulinumHoneyinfant botulismmothersWest Bank

Identifiers

PMID40200802
PMCPMC11983526

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.