General practice

What worries parents when their preschool children are acutely ill, and why: a qualitative study

^a Department of Primary Health Care, Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH

Abstract

Objective: To identify and explore parents' concerns when young children become acutely ill.
Design: Qualitative study making use of semi-structured one to one and group interviews with parents of preschool children.
Setting: Disadvantaged inner city community.
Subjects: 95 parents of preschool children.
Results: Fever, cough, and the possibility of meningitis were parents' primary concerns when their children became acutely ill. Parents' concerns reflected lay beliefs, their interpretation of medical knowledge, and their fears that their child might die or be permanently harmed. Parents worried about failing to recognise a serious problem. Concerns were expressed within the context of keenly felt pressure, emphasising parents' responsibility to protect their child from harm. They were grounded in two linked factors: parents' sense of personal control when faced with illness in their child and the perceived threat posed by an illness.
Conclusions: Better understanding of parents' concerns may promote effective communication between health professionals and parents. Modification of parents' personal control and perceived threat using appropriate information and education that acknowledge and address their concerns may be a means of empowering parents.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Excluding serious illness in feverish children in primary care: restricted rule-out method for diagnosis

Matthew J Thompson, Anthony Harnden, and Chris Del Mar
BMJ 2009 338: b1187. [Extract] [Full Text]

Paracetamol plus ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children (PITCH): economic evaluation of a randomised controlled trial

Sandra Hollinghurst, Niamh Redmond, Céire Costelloe, Alan Montgomery, Margaret Fletcher, Tim J Peters, and Alastair D Hay
BMJ 2008 337: a1490. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Paracetamol plus ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children (PITCH): randomised controlled trial

Alastair D Hay, Céire Costelloe, Niamh M Redmond, Alan A Montgomery, Margaret Fletcher, Sandra Hollinghurst, and Tim J Peters
BMJ 2008 337: a1302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Antipyretic drugs for children

Alastair D Hay, Niamh Redmond, and Margaret Fletcher
BMJ 2006 333: 4-5. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Morgan, M., Thomas, M. (2009). Lay and Professional Constructions of Time: Implications for Illness Behaviour and Management of a Chronic Condition. Sociology 43: 555-572 [Abstract]  
• Thompson, M. J, Harnden, A., Mar, C. D. (2009). Excluding serious illness in feverish children in primary care: restricted rule-out method for diagnosis. BMJ 338: b1187-b1187 [Full text]  
• Hollinghurst, S., Redmond, N., Costelloe, C., Montgomery, A., Fletcher, M., Peters, T. J, Hay, A. D (2008). Paracetamol plus ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children (PITCH): economic evaluation of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ 337: a1490-a1490 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Hay, A. D, Costelloe, C., Redmond, N. M, Montgomery, A. A, Fletcher, M., Hollinghurst, S., Peters, T. J (2008). Paracetamol plus ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children (PITCH): randomised controlled trial. BMJ 337: a1302-a1302 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Shields, M D, Bush, A, Everard, M L, McKenzie, S, Primhak, R, on behalf of the British Thoracic Society Cough Gu, (2008). Recommendations for the assessment and management of cough in children. Thorax 63: iii1-iii15 [Full text]  
• (2008). When the child has a fever. DTB 46: 17-21 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Hay, A. D, Redmond, N., Fletcher, M. (2006). Antipyretic drugs for children.. BMJ 333: 4-5 [Full text]  
• Hendry, S J, Beattie, T F, Heaney, D (2005). Minor illness and injury: factors influencing attendance at a paediatric accident and emergency department. Arch. Dis. Child. 90: 629-633 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Heyderman, R S, Ben-Shlomo, Y, Brennan, C A, Somerset, M (2004). The incidence and mortality for meningococcal disease associated with area deprivation: an ecological study of hospital episode statistics. Arch. Dis. Child. 89: 1064-1068 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Hay, A. D, Wilson, A., Fahey, T., Peters, T. J (2003). The duration of acute cough in pre-school children presenting to primary care: a prospective cohort study. Fam Pract 20: 696-705 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Pshetizky, Y., Naimer, S., Shvartzman, P. (2003). Acute otitis media--a brief explanation to parents and antibiotic use. Fam Pract 20: 417-419 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Ehrich, K. (2003). Reconceptualizing 'Inappropriateness': Researching Multiple Moral Positions in Demand for Primary Healthcare. Health (London) 7: 109-126 [Abstract]  
• Langridge, P. (2002). Reduction of Chronic Sorrow: A Health Promotion Role for Children's Community Nurses?. J Child Health Care 6: 157-170 [Abstract]  
• MCLELLAN, N. (1999). NHS Direct: here and now. Arch. Dis. Child. 81: 376-378 [Full text]  
• Shipman, C., Dale, J. (1999). Responding to out-of-hours demand: the extent and nature of urgent need. Fam Pract 16: 23-27 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Campbell, J. (1999). Patients' perceptions of medical urgency: does deprivation matter?. Fam Pract 16: 28-32 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Butler, C. C, Rollnick, S., Pill, R., Maggs-Rapport, F., Stott, N. (1998). Understanding the culture of prescribing: qualitative study of general practitioners' and patients' perceptions of antibiotics for sore throats. BMJ 317: 637-642 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• MacFaul, R, Stewart, M, Werneke, U, Taylor-Meek, J, Smith, H E, Smith, I J (1998). Parental and professional perception of need for emergency admission to hospital: prospective questionnaire based study. Arch. Dis. Child. 79: 213-218 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Fleming, D M, Charlton, J R H (1998). Morbidity and healthcare utilisation of children in households with one adult: comparative observational study. BMJ 316: 1572-1576 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Roberts, H. (1996). Listen to the parents. BMJ 313: 954-955 [Full text]  
• Kai, J. (1996). Parents' difficulties and information needs in coping with acute illness in preschool children: a qualitative study. BMJ 313: 987-990 [Abstract] [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

False alarm

Else Smits
bmj.com, 5 Jun 2001 [Full text]