Knowledge and Practice of Fever Management by Mothers of Preschool Children at Home

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the level and correlation of knowledge and practice of fever management at home and provide data for the development of an intervention program to improve the fever management ability of mothers of preschool age children. METHODS: Participants were 112 mothers with children between 1 and 6 years of age and attending one of three daycare centers located in J city. The participants had a history of using medication and tepid massage. Data were collected during April, 2016. RESULTS: The mean scores were 27.55 (correct answer rate 70.64%) of 39 for knowledge, and 75.93 of 92 for fever management practice. There were significant differences in scores for knowledge according to the number of children and number of visits to doctors for treatment of a fever. There were no differences in scores for practice. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and practice. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that mothers' knowledge and practice of childhood fever management were insufficient to provide accurate management of childhood fevers. Therefore, to improve the mothers' ability to provide appropriate fever management, educational strategies that focus on increasing knowledge need to be developed.