Rurality of Residence and Inappropriate Antibiotic Use for Acute Respiratory Infections Among Young Tennessee Children

Background Antibiotic use is common for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children, but much of this use is inappropriate. Few studies have examined whether rurality of residence is associated with inappropriate antibiotic use. We examined whether rates of ARI-related inappropriate antibiotic use among children vary by rurality of residence. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged 2 months–5 years enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid between 2007 and 2017 and diagnosed with ARI in the outpatient setting. Study outcomes included ARI, ARI-related antibiotic use, and ARI-related inappropriate antibiotic use. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to measure associations between rurality of residence, defined by the US Census Bureau, and the rate of study outcomes, while accounting for other factors including demographics and underling comorbidities. Results A total of 805 332 children met selection criteria and contributed 1 840 048 person-years (p-y) of observation. Children residing in completely rural, mostly rural, and mostly urban counties contributed 70 369 (4%) p-y, 479 121 (26%) p-y, and 1 290 558 p-y (70%), respectively. Compared with children in mostly urban counties (238 per 1000 p-y), children in mostly rural (450 per 1000 p-y) and completely rural counties (468 per 1000 p-y) had higher rates of inappropriate antibiotic use (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33–1.35 and aIRR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.32–1.35, respectively). Conclusions Inappropriate antibiotic use is common among young children with ARI, with higher rates in rural compared with urban counties. These differences should inform targeted outpatient antibiotic stewardship efforts.