Subjective assessment of childhood fever by mothers utilizing primary health care facilities in Osogbo, Osun state, Nigeria.

Abstract

To assess the accuracy of tactile examination bymothers as amethod of fever determination in their children and thus determine the reliability of mothers' history about the presence or absence of fever in their children. A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers randomly selected in Osogbometropolis.Three hundredmotherswere studied, a semi-structured questionnairewas utilized. 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 affectmother's subjective assessment of childhood fever (p>0.05). 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 ameans of detecting fever in their children. Physicians should accept as reliablemothers' history of fever and give promptmanagement.

Keywords: Subjective assessment, childhood fever, tactile examination,mothers, sensitivity, specificity