Posted on June 19, 2002 at 10:40 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has received a two-year, $100,000 grant from the Pfizer Foundation to help parents with limited literacy skills better understand and treat their children’s illnesses. “The study will evaluate an educational program designed to give parents the knowledge and confidence to treat a child’s fever, one of the most common symptoms of an illness,” says Marion Broome, Ph.D., associate dean of research with the Center for Nursing Research at UAB.
The program, called A.C.T. (Assess-Communicate-Treat), will teach parents how to assess the symptoms of an illness, communicate the symptoms to a healthcare provide, and understand and administer the prescribed treatment. “A fever doesn’t necessarily mean a visit to the doctor,” says Broome. “But parents often err on the side of caution when they are uncertain. By teaching parents to recognize when it is safe and how to manage a fever at home, the program will reduce the number of unnecessary calls and visits to a doctor’s office or the emergency room.”
A.C.T. will consist of two 40-minute classes and a home visit. Parents also will be given a “fever pack” including a thermometer and other supplies for taking and recording a temperature. “Materials will be developed specifically for low literacy parents who can’t read or write well,” says Broome. “Printed information will be written at a third-grade reading level and will include pictures and graphics for easy reading and comprehension.”
The study will enlist 150 parents of children ages 0 to 5 who are currently enrolled in parenting programs at the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE) Family Services Center. Parents will be randomly assigned to either the A.C.T. program or to a waiting list. “The program will enroll 25 parents at a time,” says Broome. “All parents will have an opportunity to participate in the program over the course of the study.”
The Pfizer Foundation will host a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on June 19 at the UAB School of Nursing to announce its funding of the project and to recognize UAB and SAFE as project partners. For more information, contact the UAB Center for Nursing Research at (205) 934-2153.