Table 1. Effectiveness of interventions to influence parent knowledge related to consulting for respiratory tract infections in children.
| Study | Age | Outcome | Intervention | Control | OR | NNT | Mean | Significance | Risk of |
| [95% | difference | bias | |||||||
| CI] | |||||||||
| Francis* | 6 mo- | % “intends to consult | 133/246 | 201/263 | 0.36 | 5 | <0.001 | Min. | |
| 4 yr | if their child has | (54%) | (76.4%) | [0.24– | |||||
| similar illness in | 0.54] | ||||||||
| future” | |||||||||
| Herman** | <18 yr | % would visit GP or | Likely | ||||||
| ED for: | |||||||||
| earache | 40/61 | 101/113 | 0.24 | 4 | - | <0.001 | |||
| (66%) | (89%) | [0.09– | |||||||
| 0.54] | |||||||||
| cough | 20/61 | 73/113 | 0.27 | 3 | - | <0.001 | |||
| (31%) | (64%) | [0.13– | |||||||
| 0.54] | |||||||||
| Isaacman*** | <3 yr | Mean knowledge | Likely | ||||||
| score of: | |||||||||
| how to administer | Verbal: 97.6 | 92.7 | - | - | 4.9 | NS | |||
| medication | Written + | ||||||||
| verbal: 96.9 | - | - | 4.2 | NS | |||||
| signs of symptom | Verbal: 60 | 44 | - | - | 16 | <0.05 (vs. | |||
| improvement | Written + | C) | |||||||
| verbal: 73.2 | - | - | 29.2 | <0.05 (vs. | |||||
| both) | |||||||||
| signs to reconsult | Verbal: 38.7 | 22.4 | - | - | 16.3 | <0.05 (vs. | |||
| Written + | C) | ||||||||
| verbal: 44.4 | - | - | 22.4 | <0.05 (vs. | |||||
| C) | |||||||||
| Morrell, | 0–4 yr | % with correct | Likely | ||||||
| Anderson | responses for: | ||||||||
| symptom | |||||||||
| management | |||||||||
| cough | 15/51 | 11/47 | 1.36 | 17 | - | 0.66 | |||
| (29.4%) | (23.4%) | [0.50– | |||||||
| 3.71] | |||||||||
| runny nose | 5/51 | 2/47 | 2.45 | 18 | - | 0.44¶ | |||
| (9.8%) | (4.3%) | [0.39– | |||||||
| 19.31] | |||||||||
| sore throat | 13/51 | 10/47 | 1.27 | 24 | - | 0.8 | |||
| (25.5%) | (21.3%) | [0.45– | |||||||
| 3.59] | |||||||||
| Robbins | <6 mo | % know when to | Likely | ||||||
| consult for snuffles | |||||||||
| routine basis | 48/49 | 35/43 | 10.97 | 6 | - | 0.01¶ | |||
| (98%) | (81.4%) | [1.28– | |||||||
| 244.62] | |||||||||
| urgent basis | 48/49 | 39/43 | 4.92 | 14 | - | 0.18¶ | |||
| (98%) | (90.7%) | [0.48– | |||||||
| 120.59] |
*cluster randomised controlled trial;
**pre/post design: intervention = post; control = pre;
***non-randomised controlled trial;
¶
using Fisher's Exact Test; ED: emergency department; GP: general practitioner; mo: month; Min: minimum; NNT: number needed to treat; OR: odds ratio; yr: years. Italicized p-values were those reported in original study.