Australian care givers' knowledge of and attitudes towards paediatric fever management

Aim Non-evidence-based practice and inappropriate paediatric fever management by care givers is common. The aim of this study was to survey a large sample of Australian parents and care givers utilising a validated Fever Management Tool, to determine the current knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of Australian care givers regarding fever management. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional survey conducted via a third-party market research company. Univariate analysis of demographic factors and their influence on knowledge scores were tested. A multivariate linear regression model was specified using all available independent univariate predicators to determine the demographic factors influencing care givers fever knowledge. Results Data from 1000 questionnaires were analysed. The participants' total knowledge scores were evenly distributed with a mean score of 15.4/29 correct answers in the True/False questionnaire, a median score of 16 and a standard deviation of 4.27. It highlighted that Australian care givers had poor knowledge in questions related to 'teething', 'physical cooling methods' and 'medication dosing'. In the multivariate analysis, 28.9% of the total variance was explained (R-2 value = 0.289, P < 0.001) with 5 of 11 factors contributing. Conclusion Overall, this cross-sectional survey has provided a strong understanding of the current knowledge, attitude and beliefs of Australian care givers in regards to fever management in their children. Total knowledge of fever management was generally poor in Australia with many participants harbouring misconceptions and non-evidence-based practices. Future interventions improving fever management practices should be tailored to the specific weaknesses faced by Australian care givers in order to promote long term change.