The effects of febrile convulsion control program on knowledge, attitude, anxiety, and action of mothers

Background and Objective: Febrile convulsion is one of the most common neurologic disorders in children aged 6 months to 6 years. Considering the probability of recurrence and the crucial role of mothers in controlling the disease, we conducted the present study to explore the effectiveness of a febrile convulsion control educational program on the knowledge, attitude, anxiety, and action of mothers. Materials and Method: This quasi-experimental study was performed in Shahrekord, Iran, on 130 mothers of children who had experienced febrile convulsion in 2013. The participants were selected using convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The data were gathered before and after the educational program using demographic, knowledge, attitude, anxiety, and action questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20, Students' independent t-test, paired t-test, and multiple regression tests. Results: The results of Students' independent t-test showed a significant difference in mean scores of knowledge, attitude, anxiety, and action (P < 0.001) The results of multiple regression tests showed a significant correlation between mothers' attitude and their age (P = 0.009) and child's birth order (P = 0.010), between mothers' anxiety and child's age (P = 0.040), and the mothers' action and their occupation (P = 0.040). Conclusion: This study confirmed the efficiency of educational interventions in increasing knowledge, improving attitude and action, and reducing anxiety of mothers regarding prevention of febrile convulsion in children. Therefore, it is proposed that conducting appropriate educational programs for mothers be added to the job description of nurses.