The Relationship Between Parents’ E-Health Literacy and Their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Pediatric Fever Management: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to describe parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding childhood fever management and to examine the association between parental e-health literacy and the total score of the Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Questionnaire on Pediatric Fever Management (PKAPQ-PFM). Methods: This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study included 442 parents of children aged 0–5 years. Descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, and multivariable linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. Results: Parents’ mean score on the e-Health Literacy Scale was 30.35 ± 6.34, and their mean score on the Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Questionnaire on Pediatric Fever Management was 113.17 ± 9.68. Among parents, 49.1% preferred measuring fever from the forehead, and 44.8% considered 38.0 °C and above as the fever threshold for axillary measurement. Paracetamol (81.9%) was the most preferred antipyretic, and 62.7% of households had forehead thermometers. Parents most frequently sought information about the causes of fever (52.5%), dosing intervals for antipyretic medications (37.1%), and the temperature threshold at which medication should be administered (31.9%). E-health literacy was positively and significantly associated with total PKAPQ-PFM scores (R = 0.322, p < 0.001) and explained 10.4% of the variance in total PKAPQ-PFM scores (R2 = 0.104, p < 0.001). This association remained significant after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics (B = 0.48, β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Higher parental e-health literacy was associated with higher total PKAPQ-PFM scores. Strengthening parents’ e-health literacy may be a useful focus for parent education aimed at improving childhood fever management. Practical implications: Pediatric nurses should support parents’ digital health literacy to promote safe fever management practices at home and appropriate medication use.