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Parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practice in childhood fever: an internet-based survey
Eefje Gpm de Bont1, Nick A Francis, Geert-Jan Dinant
1Department of General Practice, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Insights
Parental knowledge and practices regarding childhood fever vary. Most parents expect a physical examination and information, not medication, when consulting about a child
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- General Practice
Background:
- Childhood fever is a common pediatric concern, often stemming from self-limiting infections.
- High rates of primary care (re)consultations for childhood fever are linked to parental knowledge gaps and anxiety.
- Previous studies on these drivers have focused only on parents actively consulting for a febrile child.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to childhood fever.
- To assess these factors within the general population, not just those currently seeking medical care.
Main Methods:
- An internet-based, 26-item cross-sectional survey was administered.
- The study included 1000 parents from the general population of the Netherlands with at least one child under five years old.
- Data were collected from 625 respondents.
Main Results:
- A significant proportion of parents (63.4%) had consulted primary care for a febrile child.
- While most parents (88.3%) knew the definition of fever, knowledge about antibiotic efficacy (55.2%) and the necessity of treatment (72.0%) varied.
- Parents prioritized physical examination (53.6%) over receiving a prescription for antibiotics or antipyretics.
Conclusions:
- Parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding childhood fever are diverse.
- Parents expect thorough examinations and information but generally do not prioritize medication prescriptions.
- General practitioners (GPs) should align consultations and prescription strategies with these parental expectations.
Background:
Fever in children is common and mostly caused by self-limiting infections. However, the number of (re)consultations in primary care is high, driven by lack of knowledge and fear among parents. These drivers have only been studied in parents when consulting with their sick child.
Aim:
To study knowledge, attitudes, and practice in childhood fever in parents within the general population.
Design And Setting:
Internet-based survey of a sample of 1000 parents from the general population of the Netherlands.
Method:
A 26-item cross-sectional survey was conducted of parents with one or more children aged < 5 years.
Results:
Of 625 responders (average age 34.9 years), 63.4% and 43.7% indicated ever visiting their GP or GP's out-of-hours centre with a febrile child, respectively: 88.3% knew the definition of fever (>38°C), 55.2% correctly stated that antibiotics are effective in treating bacterial infections and not viral infections, and 72.0% knew that not every child with a fever needs treatment with antibiotics or paracetamol. When asked to prioritise aspects of a GP's consultation, 53.6% considered physical examination as most important. Obtaining a prescription for antibiotics or antipyretics was considered least important.
Conclusion:
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning childhood fever varied among parents with young children. Parents generally expect thorough physical examination and information, but not a prescription for medication (antibiotics or antipyretics) when consulting with a feverish child. GPs must be aware of these expectations as these provide opportunities to enhance consultations in general and prescription strategies in particular.
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