0-6-Year-Old Children Mothers’ Attitudes and Experiences Regarding Fever: A Qualitative Study

Aim: This study aims to deeply examine the knowledge and experiences of mothers with 0-6-year-old children regarding fever. Material and Method: A phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 mothers of 0-6-year-old children across eastern Türkiye. The interviews were conducted online and audio recorded. Content analysis was performed using the MAXQDA 2022 software package. The study was written based on the COREQ checklist. Results: The study identified 3 main themes (mothers' experiences, practices related to fever monitoring, practices to reduce fever) and 8 sub-themes (mothers' emotions, understanding symptoms of fever, sources of information on fever intervention, fever measurement methods, frequency of fever measurement, fever measurement sites, medical practices, traditional practices). Conclusion: The results indicate that mothers possess incorrect attitudes and practices regarding fever. It is recommended to provide education to mothers on fever and its management.