Kelly Maria, Sahm Laura J, Shiely Frances, O'Sullivan Ronan, de Bont Eefje G, Mc Gillicuddy Aoife, Herlihy Roisin, Dahly Darren, McCarthy Suzanne
Pharmaceutical Care Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
HRB Clinical Research Facility, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
BMJ Open. 2017 Jul 9;7(7):e015684. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015684.
Fever is a common symptom of mostly benign illness in young children, yet concerning for parents. The aim of this study was to describe parental knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding fever in children aged ≤5 years of age.
A cross-sectional study using a previously validated questionnaire. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression.
Purposively selected primary schools (n=8) in Cork, Ireland, using a paper-based questionnaire. Data were collected from a cross-sectional internet-based questionnaire with a convenience sample of parents via websites and web pages (n=10) previously identified in an interview study.
Parents with at least one child aged ≤5 years were invited to participate in the study.
Parental knowledge, attitudes and beliefs when managing fever in children.
One thousand one hundred and four parents contributed to this research (121 parents from schools and 983 parents through an online questionnaire). Almost two-thirds of parents (63.1%) identified temperatures at which they define fever that were either below or above the recognised definition of temperature (38°C). Nearly two of every three parents (64.6%) alternate between two fever-reducing medications when managing a child's fever. Among parents, years of parenting experience, age, sex, educational status or marital status did not predict being able to correctly identify a fever, neither did they predict if the parent alternated between fever-reducing medications.
Parental knowledge of fever and fever management was found to be deficient which concurs with existing literature. Parental experience and other sociodemographic factors were generally not helpful in identifying parents with high or low levels of knowledge. Resources to help parents when managing a febrile illness need to be introduced to help all parents provide effective care.
发热是幼儿常见症状，大多为良性疾病，但令家长担忧。本研究旨在描述5岁及以下儿童家长对发热的认知、态度和信念。
采用先前验证过的问卷进行横断面研究。结果采用描述性统计和多变量逻辑回归分析。
在爱尔兰科克市有目的地选取8所小学，使用纸质问卷。通过访谈研究预先确定的网站和网页，对方便抽样的家长进行基于互联网的横断面问卷调查收集数据（n = 10）。
邀请至少有一名5岁及以下儿童的家长参与研究。
家长在处理儿童发热时的知识、态度和信念。
1104名家长参与了本研究（121名来自学校，983名通过在线问卷）。近三分之二的家长（63.1%）确定的发热温度低于或高于公认的定义（38°C）。近三分之二的家长（64.6%）在处理孩子发热时会交替使用两种退烧药。在家长中，育儿年限、年龄、性别、教育程度或婚姻状况均不能预测是否能够正确识别发热，也不能预测家长是否会交替使用退烧药。
发现家长对发热及发热处理的知识存在不足，这与现有文献一致。家长经验和其他社会人口统计学因素通常无助于识别知识水平高或低的家长。需要引入资源来帮助家长处理发热疾病，以帮助所有家长提供有效的护理。
