Table 1 characteristics of the study population
From: Parental reassurance concerning a feverish child: determinant factors in rural general practice
Children n (%) | 202; girls: 99 (49); boys: 103 (51) |
|---|---|
Age (months), mean, standard deviation | 30.3 ± 16.4 |
Number of siblings | |
• 1 | 65 (32.2) |
• 2 | 89 (44.1) |
• 3 | 36 (17.8) |
• ≥ 4 | 11 (6.0) |
Presence of one or more antecedentsa | 50 (24.8)c |
• respiratory | 22 (35.5) |
• uro-digestive | 16 (25.8) |
• otorhinolaryngology | 11 (17.7) |
• others | 11 (17.7) |
• neurological | 2 (3.2) |
Parents n (%) | |
Accompanying parent is the mother | 158 (78.0) |
Two parent family | 192 (95.0) |
Socio-professional category of the accompanying parentb | |
• farmer | 0 (0) |
• artisan, merchant, business leader | 13 (6.6) |
• manager, intellectuel profession | 11 (5.6) |
• white collar worker | 50 (25.4) |
• employee | 62 (31.5) |
• laborer | 18 (9.1) |
• retired | 0 (0) |
• no employment | 43 (21.8) |
Parental knowledge about fever: | |
• definition of fever (n = 202) | |
○ < 38 °C | 23 (11.4) |
○ 38 °C | 116 (57.4) |
○]38 °C-38°5C] | 50 (24.8) |
○ > 38°5C | 13 (6.4) |
• Fever is dangerous? (n = 202) | yes: 186 (92.1) |
• Cited complicationsa (n = 186) | |
○ neurological | 98 (47.6) |
▪ including convulsion | 33.8% |
○ metabolic | 42 (20.4) |
▪ including dehydration | 15.4% |
○ others | 46 (22.3) |
Sources of information of the parents (n = 202) (multi-choice questions) | |
○ general practitioner | 156 (77.2) |
○ experience | 139 (68.8) |
○ entourage | 83 (41.1) |
○ child’s health recordd | 38 (18.8) |
○ pediatrician | 33 (16.3) |
○ pharmacist | 19 (9.4) |
○ media | 11 (5.4) |