“A PRE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATION BOOKLET ON KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FEBRILE CONVULSION AMONG PARENTS FROM SELECTED AREAS OF PUNE CITY”

Abstract

Introduction: A febrile seizure, also known as a fever fit or febrile convulsion, is a seizure associated with a high body temperature but without any serious underlying health issue. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Most seizures are less than five minutes in duration, and the child is completely back to normal within an hour of the event. There are two types: simple febrile seizures and complex febrile seizures. Simple febrile seizures involve an otherwise healthy child who has at most one tonic-clonic seizure lasting less than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period. Complex febrile seizures have focal symptoms, last longer than 15 minutes, or occur more than once within 24 hours.

Aims of the Study: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an information booklet in enhancing parents’ knowledge regarding febrile convulsion in selected areas of Pune city by comparing pre- and post-test knowledge scores.

Methodology: The researcher used a quantitative research approach for this study and employed a pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test research design. The study was conducted in selected urban areas of Pune city, targeting parents of under-five children. A total of 60 participants were included in the sample, and they were selected using a non-probability purposive sampling technique.

Results: The study on 60 parents of under-five children in Pune city. Pre-test results showed that the majority of parents had poor knowledge regarding febrile convulsion, with a mean score of 7.32. Post-test findings revealed significant improvement, with most parents achieving good knowledge and a mean score of 16.85. A paired t-test indicated a statistically significant increase in knowledge after the intervention (t = 21.45, p = 0.00001) the null hypothesis is rejected. Hence, the alternative hypothesis is accepted, indicating the information booklet was effective in enhancing parents’ knowledge on febrile convulsion. Chi-square analysis showed no significant association between knowledge levels and selected demographic variables, confirming that the information booklet effectively improved knowledge regardless of background factors.

Conclusion: The study revealed that most participants initially had poor knowledge regarding febrile convulsion. However, after the information booklet intervention, the majority demonstrated good knowledge, confirming the effectiveness of the method. No significant association was found between demographic variables and knowledge levels, suggesting that the intervention was beneficial across all groups.