Navigating childhood fever: A registry-based analysis of parental engagement patterns and information needs in mHealth.

BACKGROUND

Acute childhood fever can lead to parental anxiety which contributes to the overcrowding of pediatric emergency care. Mobile health (mHealth) applications offer support to empower caregivers. Real-world evidence regarding usage disparities and their actual impact on user empowerment remains scarce.

OBJECTIVE

This observational study investigates the sociodemographic determinants of mHealth usage and evaluates its effect on parental confidence as parent-reported outcome measure (PROM).

METHODS

A FeverApp registry data analysis was conducted. An ecological momentary assessment tool regarding fever management of parents. The main sample (N=24,800) was analyzed to identify sociodemographic usage disparities and thematic navigation patterns using correlation clustering. A subsample (n=3,825) completed a 5-point questionnaire regarding perceived safety in managing fever, as the primary PROM. The relationship between interaction frequency and the PROM was evaluated using an ordinal logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Highly educated parents demonstrate the highest engagement (mean = 14.1 interactions) compared to those with lower education (9.8 interactions). The PROM analysis revealed a clear dose-response relationship: higher interaction frequencies strongly predicted higher levels of self-reported safety. Parents with lower educational backgrounds frequently fell below the usage threshold. Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that parents navigate information in highly structured, action-oriented clusters.

CONCLUSIONS

Linking objective data with PROMs suggests that mHealth interventions are positively associated with enhanced parental self-efficacy. The identified equity gap highlights that some designs may leave vulnerable populations behind. To serve as equitable public health tools, future digital health systems must integrate adaptive, low-threshold pathways to ensure the necessary engagement for confident decision-making.