Understanding Childhood Fever: Perspectives of German and Turkish Mothers
Author Information
Author(s): Langer Thorsten, Pfeifer Miriam, Soenmez Aynur, Tarhan Bilge, Jeschke Elke, Ostermann Thomas
Primary Institution: Witten/Herdecke University
Hypothesis
A low socio-economic status and a Turkish background are associated with a fearful concept of fever.
Conclusion
A Turkish migrant background and a low socio-economic status are associated with the fever concept 'fearful'.
Supporting Evidence
- Turkish mothers were more likely to relate to the concept 'fearful'.
- Mothers with a middle or high socio-economic status were more likely to respond to the concept 'functional'.
- Mothers adhering to the concept 'fearful' more often gave acetaminophen before the recommended interval of 6 hours.
- Mothers with a Turkish background had a lower average socio-economic status compared to German mothers.
- 46.8% of mothers with a fearful concept gave medication too soon compared to 31.3% of those with a functional concept.
Takeaway
Mothers from Turkish backgrounds or with lower incomes tend to worry more about fever in their children and often give medicine too soon.
Methodology
A standardized interview study was conducted among German and Turkish mothers using a questionnaire with 36 questions and 205 items.
Potential Biases
Social desirability bias may affect the accuracy of mothers' self-reported behaviors regarding fever management.
Limitations
The study may not represent all cultural backgrounds and relies on self-reported data, which could introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Mothers included 174 with a German background and 164 with a Turkish background, with an average age of 34.1 years for German mothers and 32.0 years for Turkish mothers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0001
Confidence Interval
1.16-3.44
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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