Kuwaiti parent's knowledge of their childern's fever and their patterns of use of over the counter antipyretics
Nabil Ahmed Badawy, Ali Falah Alhajraf, Mawaheb Falah Alsamdan
Abstract
Background
Many parents consider fever a disease with the continuation of fever phobia and overuse of antipyretics to reduce it.
Aims
Identifying Kuwaiti parent’s knowledge of their children’s fever and determining their patterns of use of Over-the-Counter- Antipyretics.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study in which we have recruited 614 Kuwaiti mothers of well children aged between six months and five years. Data was collected over six-months from September 2015 to March 2016, using a self-administered questionnaire.
Results
A total of 614 mothers participated in the study, with a response rate of 94.5 per cent. Twenty-seven per cent (166) of them considered a temperature ≤38.5°C to be a high-grade fever, with the level of education significantly influenced mothers’ reports of high-grade fever (F=4.68, df.=4, P=0.001, n=207). Almost all the parents believed that heat could cause harm, and 48 per cent (294) of them stated that fever is very harmful. Fifty-three per cent of mothers (309) would give antipyretic medication when body temperature is ≤38°C. Sixty-one per cent (375) of the mothers had alternated antipyretic paracetamol and ibuprofen. Forty-five per cent (274) of parents think that antipyretics are without potential harm. Level of education had a positive impact on the perception of fever [χ2 (df=8)=70.68, p < 0.001]. Usual practices targeted temperature reduction using antipyretics by 53.7 per cent.
Conclusion
Mothers have an imperfect knowledge of fever. Fever phobia is widespread, leading to an overuse of antipyretics.
Full Text:
Many parents consider fever a disease with the continuation of fever phobia and overuse of antipyretics to reduce it.
Aims
Identifying Kuwaiti parent’s knowledge of their children’s fever and determining their patterns of use of Over-the-Counter- Antipyretics.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study in which we have recruited 614 Kuwaiti mothers of well children aged between six months and five years. Data was collected over six-months from September 2015 to March 2016, using a self-administered questionnaire.
Results
A total of 614 mothers participated in the study, with a response rate of 94.5 per cent. Twenty-seven per cent (166) of them considered a temperature ≤38.5°C to be a high-grade fever, with the level of education significantly influenced mothers’ reports of high-grade fever (F=4.68, df.=4, P=0.001, n=207). Almost all the parents believed that heat could cause harm, and 48 per cent (294) of them stated that fever is very harmful. Fifty-three per cent of mothers (309) would give antipyretic medication when body temperature is ≤38°C. Sixty-one per cent (375) of the mothers had alternated antipyretic paracetamol and ibuprofen. Forty-five per cent (274) of parents think that antipyretics are without potential harm. Level of education had a positive impact on the perception of fever [χ2 (df=8)=70.68, p < 0.001]. Usual practices targeted temperature reduction using antipyretics by 53.7 per cent.
Conclusion
Mothers have an imperfect knowledge of fever. Fever phobia is widespread, leading to an overuse of antipyretics.
PDF