Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Parents with Children under 6 Years Old Referring to Health Centers in Hamadan Regarding Fever Control

Background and Objective: Control of fever in children is one of the most common reasons for parents to seek medical care and medical attention in health centers. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents with children under 6 years old referring to health centers in Hamadan regarding fever control. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 504 parents with children under 6 years old in Hamadan who health centers were selected by cluster sampling and parents were selected by convenience sampling method in 2017. Data collection tools consisted of a questionnaire in four sections: demographic data, parents' knowledge, attitude and practice. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS-16 software. Results: The subjects reported 83.9%, 49.6%, and 86.9% of receivable scores of knowledge, attitudes and practices, respectively. Parents' knowledge in controlling fever was reported as undesirable. However, the parents' attitude and practices were at a satisfactory level. There is also a positive and significant correlation between knowledge, attitude and practice. There is a positive and significant correlation between parent's knowledge, attitude and practices (P<0.01). Conclusion: According to the unfavorable level of parents' knowledge, it is essential to consider plan for teaching parents in the management of childhood fever control methods at home by health care providers.