Factor Related to Motivation of Caregivers in Bringing Children with Acute Illness to a Hospital

Authors

  • Nipawan Janhorm Graduate Student, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University
  • Suthisa Lamchang Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University
  • Jutarat Mesukko Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University

Keywords:

Motivation, caregiver, child, Acute illness

Abstract

Acute illness is the major cause of hospitalization for children under 5 year of age.                      Caregivers play an important role in providing care and perceiving any abnormal symptoms which motivate bringing the child to a hospital. This descriptive correlational research aimed to study the motivations of caregivers and the relationship between experience in caring for a sick child, perception of the severity of illness among caregivers, and motivations in bringing a sick child to a hospital. The study participants, selected by purposive sampling, included 85 caregivers of children with acute illness, aged from newborn to 5 years who visited the after - hour pediatric clinic at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital from August to September 2019.The research instruments included the Severity Illness Perception and the Motivation of Caregiver questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and had a value of .91. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.

The study results revealed that:

  1. The total mean scores of motivation among caregivers in bringing a child with an acute illness to a hospital had a high level (= 470.67, SD = 77.73). The biggest motivation in bringing a child to a hospital was the desire to benefit from the best treatment and to get treatment for a child quickly; the average scores were 9.47 and 9.38, respectively. Mistakes made by family physicians and prescription errors were the least motivating reasons to bring a sick child to a hospital; the average scores were 2.28 and 3.02 respectively.
  2. Experience in caring for a sick child showed a statistically significant negative relationship with motivation of caregivers at a moderate level (rs =-.324, p<.01). Perception of severity of illness showed a statistically significant positive relationship with motivation of caregivers at a moderate level (rs =.443, p<.01),

The results of this study provided basic information about motivations of caregivers in bringing a child with an acute illness to a hospital and related factors. These can be used as a guide to plan for nursing interventions in order to provide further knowledge and suggestion for caring for an ill child.

References

Apter, M. J. (2005). Personality dynamic. Retrieved from http://michaelapter.net/wp-content/uploads /2016 /04/Personality_Dynamics.pdf.

Becker, M. H., & Maiman, L. A. (1975). The health belief model: origins and correlation in psychological theory. Health Education Monography, 2 (4), 336-385.

Butun, A., & Hemingway, P. (2018). A qualitative systematic rev iew of the reasons for parental attendance at the emergency department with children presenting with minor illness. International Emergency Nursing, 36 (1), 56-62.

Carlson, G. (2008). What's the difference between a chronic illness and an acute illness. Retrieved from http://missourifamilies.org/quick/ healthqa/healthqa15.htm

Chivanon, N., & Phaktoop, M. (2013). Factors influencing separation anxiety of pre-school children as perceived by mothers in child care center, chon buri provin ce. Nursing Journal of the Ministry of Public Health, 26(1), 161-175. (In Thai)

Fieldston, E. S., Alpern, E. R., Nadel, F. M., Shea J. A., & Ales sandrini, E. A. (2012). A qualitative assessment of reasons for nonurgent visits to the emergency department: parent and health professional opinions. Pediatric Emergency Care, 28 (3), 220–225. doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013e318248b431

Gindi, R. M. (2012). Monitoring pediatric emergency room use with the National Health Interview Survey. In Proceedings of the National Conference on Health Statistics. Washington, DC: Nation center for health statistics.

Holden, B., Egan, M., Snijders, V., & Service S. (2017). Why do parents bring children with minor illness to emergency and urgent care departments. Connecting care for children. Retrieved from http://38r 8om2xjhhl25mw24492dir-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Why-do-parents-bring-children-with-minor-illness-to-em ergency-and-urgentcare-Departments-FINAL-BIT.pdf

Kalidindi, S., Mahajan, P., Thomas, R., & Sethuraman, U. (2010). Parental perception of urgency of illness. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2 6(8), 549-553. doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013 e3181ea71b3

Kapan, K., Kantawang, S., & Jintrawet. U. (2010). Parent participation in caring for critically III children in pediatric intensive care unit and related factors. Nursing journal, 37 (3), 62-75. (In Thai)

Kasonbua, P., Nabkasorn, C., & Hengudomsub, P. (2016). Effect of humor media program on fear of school-age children receiving intravenous infusion. The Journal of Faculty of NursingBurapha University, 2 4(2), 61-71. (In Thai)

Khamenkan, K. (2011). Children’s thoughts and feelings during hospitalization: Nursing Management.Journal of Nursing Science & Health, 34 (3), 75-87. (In Thai)

Lamchang, S., Niyomkar, S., Junpunyaskool, O., Lamchang, P., & Chontawan, R. (2015). Factors related to perceived severity of illness among caregivers of children with respiratory infection. Nursing Journal, 42 (3), 13-23. (In Thai)

Lamchang, S., Suklerttrakul, T., Junpunyaskool, O., & Lamchang, P. (2018). Perception of illnessamong caregivers of children with acute illness and related factors. Nursing Journal, 45 (1),75-86. (In Thai)

Marcano-Reik, A. J. (2013). Acute disease. In Gellman, M. D., & Turner, J. R. (Eds.). Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine. New York: Springer.

Mullet, E., Kpanake, L., Zounon, O., Guedj, M, & Muñoz Sastre, M. T. (2014). Putting reversal theory’s model of four domains of experience in the hot seat. Journal of Motivation, Emotion, and Personality, 2(1), 1-9. doi.org/10.12689/jmep.2014.201

Neff, M. C., & Spray, M. (1996). Introduction to maternal and child health nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

Neill, S. J., Jones, C. H., Lakhanpaul, M., Roland, D. T., & Thompson, M. J. (2016). Parents’ helpseeking behaviors during acute childhood illness at home: A contribution to explanatory theory. Journal of Child Health Care, 20 (1), 77-86. doi.org/10.1177/1367493514551309

Nurmio, A., & Noterman, H., (2016). Common infectious diseases in children aged 0-5 years, and treatment at Home: A guidebook for parents and health care professionals. Finland: Lahti University.

Ogilvie, S., Hopgood, K., Higginson, I., Ives, A., & Smith, J. E. (2016). Why do parents use the emergency department for minor injury and illness: A cross sectional questionnaire. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Open, 7 (3), 1-10. doi.org/10.1177/2054270415623695

Pelander, T., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2010). Children’s best and worst experiences during hospitalization. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 24(4), 726–733. doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2010.00770.x

Phaktoop, M., & Teeintong, K. (2017). Separation anxiety in young children admitted to the hospital.Eastern Asia University Heritage Journal, 11 (2), 40-48. (In Thai)

Polit, D. F. (2010). Statistics and data analysis for nursing research (2 nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.

Rungreangkulkij, S. (2010). Gender and mental health. Journal of the Psychiatric Association of Thailand, 55 (1), 109-118. (In Thai)

Salami, O., Salvador, J., & Vega, R., (2012). Reasons for nonurgent pediatric emergency department visits. Pediatric Emergency Care, 28 (1), 43–46. doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013e31823f2412.

Wong, A., Claudet, I., Sorum, P., & Mullet, E. (2015). Why do parents bring their children to the emergency department: A systematic inventory of motives. International Journal of Family Medicine, 2015, 1-10.

World Health Organization [WHO]. (2017). Levels and trends in child mortality report 2017. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/levels_trends_child_mor-tality_2017/en/

Downloads

Published

2020-12-08

How to Cite

Janhorm, N. . ., Lamchang, S. . . ., & Mesukko, J. . . . . (2020). Factor Related to Motivation of Caregivers in Bringing Children with Acute Illness to a Hospital. Nursing Journal CMU, 47(4), 15–26. Retrieved from https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/cmunursing/article/view/247898