Determinants of Maternal Knowledge regarding Pediatric Foreign Body Aspiration in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a respiratory emergency in children under 3 years. Prevention relies heavily on caregiver knowledge regarding risk factors and early symptoms. Despite the high clinical burden of FBA in Saudi Arabia, data concerning maternal awareness remain limited. This study evaluated maternal knowledge regarding FBA causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 122 mothers in Saudi Arabia was conducted using an online version of the validated Higuchi et al . questionnaire. The instrument assessed knowledge across eight domains, including risk factors (e.g., nuts and toys), symptoms (e.g., choking and coughing), and preventive behaviors. Analysis of associations between knowledge gaps and maternal demographics was done using Pearson’s Chi-squared test. To account for data separation, we identified independent predictors using multivariable logistic regression with Firth’s penalized likelihood. Results: Among 122 mothers, there was high awareness of small toys (91.8%) and sudden choking (80.3%) as hazards. Conversely, major deficits were observed in knowledge of organic food risks, with 48.4% unaware of peanut hazards. Furthermore, 53.3% failed to recognize sudden coughing as a symptom, and 51.6% were unaware that avoiding making a choking child cry is mandatory. Multivariable analysis identified maternal age under 30 years as the sole independent predictor of knowledge deficits (adjusted odds ratio: 7.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.63–66.26). Conclusion: Caregivers recognize overt mechanical hazards, such as toys, but frequently overlook insidious risks, such as organic foods, and subtle symptoms, such as coughing. Younger mothers represent a high-risk demographic requiring targeted intervention. Future preventive strategies must emphasize counterintuitive symptoms and advocate mandatory hazard labeling for high-risk food packaging.