Knowledge and management of fever among Moroccan parents

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Parental knowledge and practices regarding childhood fever are critical for effective home management.
• Limited data exists on fever perceptions and home care in Moroccan families.
• Misconceptions about fever can lead to inappropriate treatment and increased parental anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate parental perceptions, knowledge, and practices concerning childhood fever in Morocco.
• To identify factors associated with accurate fever knowledge among parents.
• To inform public health strategies for fever management education.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving interviews with parents of 264 febrile children (aged 0-16 years).
• Data collected in a pediatric emergency department in Rabat, Morocco, in 2011.
• Inquiries focused on fever definition, measurement, perceived severity, and treatment methods.

Main Results:

• Only 3.5% of parents correctly defined fever; 54.4% used thermometers (rectal preferred).
• A high percentage (96.8%) perceived fever as very serious, associating it with severe complications.
• Paracetamol (85.9%) and traditional treatments (45.1%) were commonly used; knowledge correlated with education and health professional advice.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps in parental understanding of childhood fever exist in Morocco.
• Widespread fear of fever complications necessitates targeted health education initiatives.
• Educational interventions should leverage health professionals to improve parental knowledge and practices.