رسائل ماجيستير
English
2022
Mothers Knowledge, Attitude and Practices toward Fever Management of Their Children
وفاء احمد أمين, رواء عباس فاضل
كلية التمريض-جامعة بابل · العراق
Fever is one of the most prevalent symptoms of childhood illnesses, which generates a lot of anxiety in families. Almost every child experiences a fever of 37.8–40.8°C at some point during their childhood. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers about childhood fever management and to identify the sociodemographic variables associated with them. A descriptive analytic study design was used during the period from 7th February 2022 to 8th March 2022. This study was conducted on 200 mothers who attended Karbala Teaching Hospital for Pediatrics using a non-probability purposive sample approach.
The credibility of the questionnaire was investigated through a pilot study before it was presented to experts to prove its validity. The total number of items included in the questionnaire was 14 items for knowledge, 9 items for attitudes, and 17 items for practices. The data were collected using the interview method and analyzed by applying descriptive and inferential statistical approaches.
The results of the study indicated that 47.5% of the mothers showed poor knowledge, 79.5% positive attitudes, and 54.5% insufficient practices. There were significant differences in knowledge regarding the mother's age, education level, and sources of information, statistically significant differences in attitudes towards the mother's profession, and significant differences in practices with regard to age, occupation, monthly income, and the child's age. There was a significant positive association between mothers' knowledge and practices (r = 0.626; p = 0.000).
The study concluded that in terms of management of children with fever, mothers expressed a poor level of knowledge influenced by mothers’ age. Positive attitudes towards the management of children with fever were influenced by mothers’ occupation. Practices related to the study variables showed an inadequate level among mothers affected by mothers’ age. The study recommended enhancing knowledge related to health education. Further study is needed to explore other factors related to the management of fever in children to prevent complications and reduce hospital burdens.