Mothers' knowledge, fears and self-management of fever: a cross-sectional study from the capital governorate in Kuwait

ABSTRACT

To survey mothers about their knowledge concerning fever in children, how they manage it at home, what their fears of fever are and to study the relationship between mothers knowledge and fear with the educational level and number of children. Primary health care clinics in the capital health region in Kuwait. Five hundred and twenty accompanying mothers of feverish children. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. 34.8% of mothers would recognize fever by the general appearance of the child, 32.6% by touching the child; one third [32.6%] would measure the temperature. More than 60% use digital thermometers, 15.7% would use mercury thermometers. The association between the educational level of mothers and method used to measure the temperature was statistically significant [p < 0.05]. The most common site mothers use for measuring temperature of a child less than 3 years was the armpit [57.3%]. The majority of mothers [81.6%] believed that teething can cause fever in children. Approximately 60% of all mothers believed that an untreated fever could lead to convulsions. The association between perceived consequences of fever and level of education was statistically highly significant [p < 0.005]. A significant association was also found between perceived consequences of fever and number of children [p < 0.05]. Doctors should spend enough time with mothers attending a feverish child, explaining and answering their queries about fever, and providing adequate information that might allay their fear and promote an appropriate fever management at home