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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 12
| Issue : 4 | Page : 434-438 |
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Subjective assessment of childhood fever by mothers utilizing primary health care facilities in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
EO Asekun-Olarinmoye, BE Egbewale, FO Olajide
Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
E O Asekun-Olarinmoye
Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 20329687 
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OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of tactile examination by mothers as a method of fever determination in their children and thus determine the reliability of mothers' history about the presence or absence of fever in their children. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers randomly selected in Osogbo metropolis. Three hundred mothers were studied, a semi-structured questionnaire was utilized. RESULTS: The study found the sensitivity and specificity of tactile examination for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children to be 82.3% and 54.1% respectively. Mother's socio-demographic characteristics and the age of child did not affect mother's subjective assessment of childhood fever (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mothers are able to provide accurate information about the presence or absence of fever in their children by palpation without the use of a thermometer. Tactile examination was found to be adequate for mothers as a means of detecting fever in their children. Physicians should accept as reliable mothers' history of fever and give prompt management. |
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