Serpil BORAN, İlknur KAHRİMAN

Evaluation of Fever-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Mothers of Children with Chronic Diseases: A Descriptive Study

Purpose: This research was conducted in a descriptive design to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the mothers of hospitalized children with chronic diseases about fever. Methods: The study was conducted with the mothers of hospitalized children with a chronic disease in the pediatric clinics of a university hospital between 01 September 2018 and 28 February 2019. Considering the frequency as 50%, and the deviation as 0.05, the sample size was calculated as 384 mothers, and this number was increased to 400. The data were collected with the face-to-face survey method investigating the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers about fever, with the consent of the mothers first. Results: According to the results, 55.0% of the mothers had primary school or below education, and 30.0% knew normal body temperature. The temperature was measured by touching the forehead of the child (49.6%) by mothers with primary school or below education level, and with a thermometer (73.5%) by those with a university degree. 74.8% took their child to a health institution on the first day of fever. When the fever increased, 33.7% and 18.3% of the mothers first took off the child’s clothes and gave medication to reduce the fever, respectively. Health personnel were the sources of information about the harms of fever for 52.5% of the mothers. Conclusion: Our study revealed that mothers’ anxiety about fever is common, and their anxiety negatively affects their approach to the child with fever, which ultimately leads to unnecessary hospital admissions.

Keywords:

Mothers, fever, knowledge, child chronic disease, attitude,

PDF

___

1. Durualp E, Kara FN, Yılmaz V, Alaybeyoğlu K. Kronik hastalığı olan ve olmayan çocukların ve ebeveynlerinin görüşlerine göre yaşam kalitelerinin karşılaştırılması. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecm 2010; 63:55-63.
2. Yalnızoğlu Çaka S, Çınar N, Altınkaynak S. Ateşli çocuğa yaklaşım. J Hum Rhythm 2015; 1:133-8.
3. Demir F, Sekreter O. Knowledge, attitudes and misconceptions of primary care physicians regarding fever in children: A cross sectional study. Ital J Pediatr 2012; 38:1-7.
4. Öztürk Ö, Topan A, Kuzlu Ayyıldız T. Ateş şikâyeti ile acil servise getirilen çocuklarda ateş olgularının değerlendirilmesi. J Health Sci Prof 2015; 2:285-96.
5. Erkek N, Senel S, Sahin M, Ozgur O, Karacan C. Parents’ perspectives to childhood fever: Comparison of culturally diverse populations. J Paediatr Child Health 2010; 46:583-7.
6. Yıldırım A, Bozaykut A, Dalkan C. 6 ay-6 yaş arası yüksek ateşli çocukların annelerinin ateş bilinç seviyesinin değerlendirilmesi. Türkiye Çocuk Hastalıkları Derg 2014; 8:1-7.
7. Chiappini E, Parretti A, Becherucci P, et al. Parental and medical knowledge and management of fever in Italian pre-school children. BMC Pediatrics. 2012; 12:97.
8. Lunze K, Hamer DH. Thermal protection of the newborn in resource-limited environments. Journal of Perinatology 2012; 32:317-324.
9. Somer A. Çocuklarda Ateş. İstanbul, Selen Yayıncılık, 2014. s.216.
10. Çataklı T, Can V, Dallar Y. Annelerin ateş düşürücü kullanma bilgileri yeterli mi? J Pediatr Infect 2012; 6:139-43.
11. Conk Z, Başbakkal Z, Yılmaz HB, Bolışık B. Pediatri Hemşireliği. Ankara, Akademisyen Tıp Kitabevi, 2013. s.1005.
12. Dong L, Jin J, Lu Y, Jiang L, Shan X. Fever phobia: A comparison survey between caregivers in the inpatient ward and caregivers at the outpatient department in a children’s hospital in China. BMC Pediatrics 2015; 15:163.
13. Halıcıoğlu O, Koç F, Aşık Akman S, Teyin A. Ateşli çocuklarda; annelerin evde ateşe yaklaşımı, bilgileri ve sosyo-demografik özellikler ile ilişkisi. İzmir Dr. Behçet Uz Çocuk Hastalıkları Derg 2011; 1:13-9.
14. Celasin ŞC, Ergin D, Atman Ü. Yüksek ateş şikâyeti ile hastaneye yatırılan 0-6 yaş grubu çocukları olan annelerin yüksek ateşe ilişkin bilgi ve tutumları. Fırat Tıp Derg 2008; 22:315-22.
15. Bertille N, Fournier-Charriere E, Pons G, Chalumeau M. Managing fever in children: National survey of parents’ knowledge and practices in France. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83469.
16. Çöl Araz N. Ailelerin ateşli çocuğa yaklaşımı: Bilgi, tutum ve uygulamaları. Türkiye Çocuk Hastalıkları Derg 2013; 1:27-32.
17. Cinar ND, Altun İ, Altınkaynak S, Walsh A. Turkish parents’ management of childhood fever: A cross-sectional survey using the PFMS-TR. Australas Emerg Nurs J 2014; 17:3-10.
18. Sahm LJ, Kelly M, McCarthy S, O’Sullivan R, Shiely F, Rømsing J. Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of parents regarding fever in children: A Danish interview study. Acta Paediatrica 2015; 105:69-73.
19. Oshikoya AK, Senbanjo OI. Fever in children: Mothers’ perceptions and their home management. Iran J Pediatr 2008; 18:229-36.
20. Eliaçık K, Kanık A, Oyman G, ve ark. Ebeveynlerin ateş hakkında bilgi, inanış ve yanlış uygulamaları. ADÜ Tıp Fakültesi Derg 2012; 13:5-7.
21. De Bont EG, Francis NA, Dinant GJ, Cals JW. Parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice in childhood fever: an internet-based survey. Br J Gen Pract 2014; 64(618):10-6.
22. Sadiq GU, Tom GM, Yahaya SJ, Omotara BA, Nwaosu SC, Sandabe UK. A survey of home management of childhood febrile illnesses in rural communities of Gwoza and Konduga local goverment areas of Borno State, Nigeria. Niger J Pharm Sci 2009; 8:93-101.
23. Kılıç R, Tolu Kendir Ö, Sarı Gökay S, Çelik T, Özkaya AK, Yılmaz HL. Çocuklarda ateş ile ilgili ebeveynlerin tutum ve davranışları. J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med 2016; 3:76-85.
24. Demir M, Bayat M. Tokat Karşıyaka Doğum ve Çocuk Hastanesi acil servisine yüksek ateş şikayetiyle getirilen 0-5 yaş grubu çocukların annelerinin yüksek ateşle ilgili bilgi ve tutumları. Sağlık Bilimleri Derg (Ek Sayı: Hemşirelik Özel Sayısı). 2005; 14:22-9.
25. Akbayram HT. Okul öncesi çocuklarda ateş yönetimi; ebeveynler ne biliyorlar? Ne yapıyorlar? J Pediatr Inf 2021; 15:154-60.
26. Poirier MP, Collins EP, McGuire E. Fever phobia: A survey of caregivers of children seen in a pediatric emergency department. Clinical Pediatrics 2010; 49:530-4.
27. Stagnara J, Vermont J, Durr F, et al. Parents’ attitudes towards childhood fever. Presse Medicale 2005; 34:1129-65.
28. Esenay FI, İşler A, Kurugöl Z, Conk Z, Kotuoğlu G. Annelerin ateşli çocuğa yaklaşımı ve ateş korkusu. Türk Pediatri Arşivi 2007; 42:57-60.
29. Al-Nouri L, Basheer K. Mothers’ perceptions of fever in children. J Trop Pediatr 2006; 52:113-9.
30. Crocetti M, Moghbeli N, Serwint J. Fever phobia revisited: Have parental misconceptions about fever changed in 20 years? Pediatrics 2001; 107:1241-7.
31. Chang LC, Liu CC, Huang MC. Parental knowledge, concerns, and management of childhood fever in Taiwan. J Nurs Res 2013; 21:252-60.
32. Baysoy G, Aydoğmuş T, Akın D, Uyan A. Annelerin çocuklarındaki ateşle ilgili bilgi, tutum ve davranışları. Türk Pediatri Arşivi 2005; 40:282-289.