The Effects of a Fever-Reducing Sponge Bath Promotion Program on Parental Care Behaviors and Child Cooperation in the Pediatric Outpatient Department at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute.

Abstract

     This quasi – experimental study aimed to examine the effects of a fever-reducing sponge bath promotion program on caregivers’ care behaviors and children’s cooperation at the Pediatric Outpatient Department, Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute. The sample consisted of 50 pairs of caregivers and children aged 0–5 years who visited the department with fever and were considered to require tepid sponging. The participants were purposively selected and divided into an experimental group of 25 pairs and a comparison group of 25 pairs. The experimental group received the fever-reducing sponge bath promotion program. The comparison group received routine nursing care. The instruments used for data collection included a general information questionnaire, a knowledge test on caring for children with fever and tepid sponging, a self-efficacy questionnaire, an outcome expectation questionnaire, a questionnaire on caregivers’ tepid sponging behaviors, a caregivers’ tepid sponging skills assessment form, and a children’s cooperation behavior assessment form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Baseline characteristics between the groups were compared using the Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and the independent samples t - test, according to the level and characteristics of the data. Pretest and posttest scores within each group were compared using the paired samples t-test, while comparisons between the experimental and comparison groups were analyzed using the independent samples t-test. The level of statistical significance was set at .05.

     The results showed that the baseline characteristics of caregivers and children in the experimental and comparison groups were not different. After the intervention, within-group comparisons revealed that the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores in knowledge of caring for children with fever and tepid sponging, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, caregivers’ tepid sponging behaviors, and caregivers’ tepid sponging skills than before the intervention at the .05 level. In contrast, the comparison group showed no significant differences between pretest and posttest mean scores. Between-group comparisons after the intervention showed that the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores than the comparison group in knowledge of caring for children with fever and tepid sponging (t = 11.42, p < .001), self-efficacy (t = 13.76, p < .001), outcome expectations (t = 6.06, p < .001), caregivers’ tepid sponging behaviors (t = 13.79, p < .001), caregivers’ tepid sponging skills (t = 9.85, p < .001), and children’s cooperation behavior during tepid sponging (t = 12.72, p < .001).