Publication: Knowledge and practices of home management of fever in children among parents attending Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM)
| dc.contributor.author | Mat, Nor Safika Che | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-09-17T04:14:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-09-17T04:14:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-08 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Fever is one of the most common symptoms experienced by children and often causes anxiety and fever phobia among parents, leading to inappropriate home management practices. Misconceptions regarding childhood fever may result in unnecessary treatment and increased healthcare utilization. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and practices of home management of fever in children among parents attending Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM), and to examine the association between selected sociodemographic factors and parents’ knowledge. A crosssectional study was conducted among 92 parents attending outpatient clinics at HPUSM. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from Bong and Tan (2018). Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0 using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. The findings showed that 55.4% of parents had good knowledge, while 44.6% demonstrated poor knowledge regarding home management of childhood fever. Most parents correctly identified fever as an increase in body temperature above normal and recognised fever as a consequence of bacterial or viral infection. However, misconceptions regarding the causes and harmful effects of fever were still present. In terms of practice, parents commonly relied on physical assessment and thermometers to detect fever and frequently used antipyretic medications to manage fever at home. The study also explored the relationship between selected sociodemographic factors and parental knowledge. Level of education shows no statistically significant relationship with level of knowledge. The age and number of children show a significant correlation with the level of knowledge, where young age and first-time parents show a higher mean knowledge score. In conclusion, while more than half of the parents displayed adequate understanding of childhood fever management, misconceptions and incorrect practices persisted. Continuous health education and evidence-based treatments are recommended to improve parental knowledge and encourage good fever management practices for children. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://erepo.usm.my/handle/123456789/25022 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | - | |
| dc.title | Knowledge and practices of home management of fever in children among parents attending Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM) | |
| dc.type | Resource Types::text::thesis::bachelor thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oairecerif.author.affiliation | Universiti Sains Malaysia |