Efficacy of scenario simulation-based education in relieving parental anxiety about fever in children

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of a scenario simulation-based education intervention on parental anxiety about fever in their children. Design and methods: This experimental research was conducted using a two-group pretest-posttest design. One hundred and sixty parents of 3-month to 5-year-old children enrolled in preschools and kindergartens with childcare services were recruited as participants using cluster random sampling. The participants were divided randomly into an experimental group (80) and a control group (80). The former participated in a scenario simulation-based education intervention and received a fever education booklet. The latter received the booklet only. Data were collected using the Children's Fever Anxiety Inventory at three time points: before the intervention (pretest, T1) and at six-month (T2) and 12-month (T3) posttests. Results: Significant intergroup differences in fever anxiety were found at both T2 and T3 (p <.001). For both groups, the scores at T2 and T3 were significantly lower than at T1 (p <.001) and the difference between T2 and T3 did not attain statistical significance (p >.05). Although both groups experienced reduced fever anxiety over time, this reduction was significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group (p <.001). Conclusion: Simulation-based education may be used in conjunction with the traditional fever education booklet to further reduce parent fever anxiety over time. Practice implications: This simulation-based education approach significantly and positively impacts parental anxiety about fever in their children. Furthermore, the approach may be generalizable to other childhood healthcare settings.