Parental Perspectives on Childhood Fever and Antipyretics: A Cross-sectional Study on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs in Bekaa Valley

Fever in children is one of the most common reasons for seeking pediatric medical care. Many parents believe that elevation in body temperature is an immune response to illness, while others perceive it as a disease requiring immediate attention. The use of drugs (antipyretics and antibiotics) often presents a significant challenge for parents when assessing the condition of their child. Most of the parents, regardless of their education level, medical background, or previous experience in treating a child with fever, feel very intimidated by underdiagnosed or untreated fever.

The purpose of this study was to assess parental knowledge and attitude towards fever in children aged 3-5 years and their practice during assessment and treatment.

A cross-sectional observational study was carried out among Bekaa elementary schools. This study targeted parents through a questionnaire sent to them at home. They were asked to fill out the questionnaire, which included participants’ demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding fever and drugs. The practice score was calculated using 13 different variables to evaluate the knowledge.

Out of 1300 parents, a total of 808 parents participated in this study; 42.7% of them recognized fever as a body temperature above 38.5ºC, and 28% believed that fever reflects a healthy immune response. Moreover, 65.5% of parents were found to give their children antipyretics when body temperature was below the defined threshold. The calculated median knowledge score was 8. According to bivariate analysis, parents with higher education levels or with medical specialties demonstrated no difference in treating fever from non-educated parents or parents who did not belong to the medical field (P-value: 0.268 and 1, respectively), whereas the age of parents positively affected the knowledge.

In this study, parental knowledge regarding fever was generally acceptable, but it failed to evaluate the impact of knowledge on attitudes and practices. Still, parental awareness regarding fever assessment and management must be carefully addressed by primary caregivers and community pharmacists.