Knowledge and behaviors of mothers about fever

Abstract

Fever, as being a first sign of many diseases, is an important problem in childhood for its results. In this study we aimed to determine the level of maternal knowledge about fever and their behavioral features when their children were in fever. We gave a questionnaire including 18 questions to 151 of the mothers of children who applied to the clinic of child health and diseases from 1 to 30 of June 1996 in our hospital. The average age of mothers was 29.85 ± 0.49, the educational state of 72 (47.7%) of mothers was primary school and 109 (72.3%) of them were housewives, Only 23 (15.2%) of mothers could define fever truly. Ninety-one (60.2%) of mothers had a thermometer at their home but 81 (53.6%) of them were using the thermometer only. Seventy-two (47.7%) of mothers were measuring the body temperature by putting the thermometer to armpit. Although a temperature of 38 degrees C was considered as fever by 53 (35.1%) of mothers, 18 (11.9%) of mothers considered a temperature of 37 degrees C as fever. One hundred (66.2%) of mothers were taking the child's clothes off and compressing with a wet cloth and 93 (61.6%) of them were consulting with a physician firstly. One hundred and thirty (86.0%) of mothers reported that they had an any kind of antipyretic agents at their home. Under the light of these findings, educating mothers about fever and training them to gain correct behavioral features should be useful for child health.