1
|
Bosshart N, Bearth A, Wermelinger S, Daum MM, Siegrist M. Childhood poisonings: Effects of ambiguous product characteristics on preschool children's categorization of household chemicals. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:1193-1203. [PMID: 37698161 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated preschool children's categorization and risk perception of products with ambiguous product characteristics (e.g., food-like packaging). These characteristics make it difficult for preschool children to categorize household chemicals correctly. This, therefore, increases the risk of unintentional poisoning. We hypothesized that ambiguity arises from different product characteristics, such as the type of packaging, the products' scent, or the packaging's color and transparency. In four behavioral tasks, N = 108 preschool children (M = 43 months, SD = 3) categorized different products and household chemicals with various types of packaging, colors, and scents. Individually wrapped dishwasher tablets were more likely to be categorized as edible than unwrapped ones. Furthermore, children who had interacted with any type of dishwasher tablet in the last 6 months performed better in identifying dishwasher tablets, regardless of packaging type. Household chemicals with a fruity scent were more likely to be categorized as drinkable than those with a chlorine scent. Finally, the children considered black bottles more dangerous and preferred them less than bottles of a different color. In contrast, bottle transparency generally did not seem to affect risk perception and preference. These findings confirm that ambiguous product characteristics influence children's categorization of unknown products and, thus, their risk perception and decision-making. Manufacturers and caregivers are advised to reduce the ambiguity of household chemicals by designing more neutral product packaging and choosing products with more neutral elements, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah Bosshart
- Consumer Behavior, Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Bearth
- Consumer Behavior, Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Wermelinger
- Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Childhood, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, UZH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Moritz M Daum
- Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Childhood, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, UZH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Siegrist
- Consumer Behavior, Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Foettinger L, Doerwald F, Albrecht BM, Stalling I, Recke C, Bammann K. Exploring parental risk perception regarding childhood unintentional home injuries: A cross-sectional study. JOURNAL OF SAFETY RESEARCH 2023; 87:446-452. [PMID: 38081716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While previous studies on childhood injury focused mainly on the relationship between parents' preventive behavior and its determinants, knowledge about parental risk perception that can help to develop, implement, and evaluate successful interventions to prevent childhood unintentional home injuries is still limited. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of parental risk perception regarding unintentional home injuries of children under six years of age. METHOD A convenience sample of 469 parents, residing in Germany, completed a web-based questionnaire assessing factors potentially associated with parental risk perception on the child, parental, and environmental level. Descriptive statistics, p for trend, and Spearman's Rho correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS Key factors influencing parental risk perception included children's sex, age, migrant status, emotionality, and injury risk as well as parents' parenting style and external locus of control. While parental risk perception was positively associated with children's injury risk, the analyses showed no associations between parental risk perception and parents' preventive behavior. CONCLUSIONS Our findings add to a better understanding of parental risk perception, provide practical implications for injury prevention, and indicate that the relationship between parental risk perception and parents' preventive behavior is based on a complex mechanism which is possibly moderated by parents' locus of control. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The identified key factors help to assess parental risk perception more accurately. Therefore, they should be considered in the development of tailored interventions to prevent unintentional home injuries of children, for instance, by targeting specific groups of parental risk perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Foettinger
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Friederike Doerwald
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Birte Marie Albrecht
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Imke Stalling
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Carina Recke
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Karin Bammann
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP), University of Bremen, Grazer Straße 2a, 28359 Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pathak P, Joshi SK. Epidemiology of unintentional childhood injuries in urban and rural areas of Nepal- A comparative study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287487. [PMID: 37847700 PMCID: PMC10581464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Unintentional injuries are one of the leading causes of ill health, disability & death among the children and young adults worldwide. As these injuries are strongly related to social determinants, the burden falls mainly upon the Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Nepal. Thus, the main objective was to explore the epidemiology of unintentional childhood injuries in urban and rural areas of Kavrepalanchok district. A cross sectional analytical study was done in Bethanchok rural municipality and Dhulikhel municipality of Kavrepalanchok district. The respondents were interviewed using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The details of injuries sustained within the past 12 months were included. A total of 667 children aged 1-16 years were surveyed, among which 26% from rural and 17.2% from urban areas had unintentional injuries in the past 12 months. Falls were the most common mode of injury in both the areas. Similarly, the proportion of burn was more in rural area (16.1%) whereas, Road Traffic Injuries were more in urban area (12.5%). Majority of the injuries occurred at home (54.5%) while the child was playing (64.1%). Factors like child's gender and place of residence affected the occurrence of unintentional injuries (p<0.05). Out of total injured children, 18 of them had not recovered and 11 were left with some form of permanent disability. As the rate and pattern of unintentional childhood injuries in the rural and urban area differ, the prevention strategies should focus on risk factors that apply to both the areas and awareness should be created among the parents and primary caregivers about the fact that childhood injuries are predictable and preventable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pratiksha Pathak
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Sunil Kumar Joshi
- Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Macaulay GC, Simpson J, Parnell W, Duncanson M. Food insecurity as experienced by New Zealand women and their children. J R Soc N Z 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2088574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace C. Macaulay
- New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jean Simpson
- New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Winsome Parnell
- Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Mavis Duncanson
- New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ribeiro MGC, Paula ABR, Bezerra MAR, Rocha SSD, Avelino FVSD, Gouveia MTDO. Social determinants of health associated with childhood accidents at home: An integrative review. Rev Bras Enferm 2019; 72:265-276. [PMID: 30916294 DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to analyze the factors associated with childhood accidents at home according to the levels of the social determinants of health. METHOD integrative review of the literature, with research in databases CINAHL, LILACS and PubMed, with the following main descriptors: child; social determinants of health; accidentes, home. We included 31 studies that related the social determinants of health and childhood accidents, in English, Portuguese and Spanish. RESULTS the proximal determinants identified were: age and sex of children, and ethnicity. Among the intermediate determinants of health, parental behavior, related to the supervision of an adult, prevailed. Parental employment and socioeconomic status were identified as distal determinants. CONCLUSION the age and sex of the child, besides direct supervision, were the determinants most associated with accidents. The distal determinants should be better studied because their relation with the occurrence of domestic accidents has not been sufficiently clarified.
Collapse
|
6
|
Azar ST, Miller EA, Stevenson MT, Johnson DR. Social Cognition, Child Neglect, and Child Injury Risk: The Contribution of Maternal Social Information Processing to Maladaptive Injury Prevention Beliefs Within a High-Risk Sample. J Pediatr Psychol 2018; 42:759-767. [PMID: 27481697 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsw067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Inadequate supervision has been linked to children's injuries. Parental injury prevention beliefs may play a role in supervision, yet little theory has examined the origins of such beliefs. This study examined whether mothers who perpetrated child neglect, who as a group provide inadequate supervision, have more maladaptive beliefs. Then, it tested a social information processing (SIP) model for explaining these beliefs. Methods SIP and injury prevention beliefs were assessed in disadvantaged mothers of preschoolers (N = 145), half with child neglect histories. Results The neglect group exhibited significantly more maladaptive injury prevention beliefs than comparisons. As predicted, SIP was linked to beliefs that may increase injury risk, even after accounting for relevant sociodemographic variables. Conclusions Findings support the link of beliefs to injury risk and suggest that specific cognitive problems may underlie these beliefs. Future work should further validate this model, which may inform enhancements to prevention efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra T Azar
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University
| | | | | | - David R Johnson
- Department of Sociology and Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sanyang E, Peek-Asa C, Young T, Fuortes L. Child Supervision and Burn Outcome among Admitted Patients at Major Trauma Hospitals in the Gambia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14080856. [PMID: 28758942 PMCID: PMC5580560 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14080856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Burn-related injuries are a significant burden in children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where more than 90% of burn-related pediatric deaths occur. Lack of adult supervision of children is a major risk for pediatric burn injuries. The goal of this paper was to examine the general characteristics of burns and identify burn injury outcomes among adult-supervised children compared to those who were not supervised. The study examined burn injury and clinical characteristics among all burn patients admitted to two trauma hospitals in The Gambia, West Africa. At intake in the emergency room, the treating physician or nurse determined the need for admission based on body surface area burned (BSAB), depth of burn, and other clinical considerations such as co-occurring injuries and co-morbidities. During the study period of 1 April 2014 through 31 October 2016, 105 burn patients were admitted and data were collected by the treating physician for all of them. Information about supervision was only asked for children aged five years or less. More than half (51%) of the burn patients were children under 18 years, and 22% were under 5 years. Among children under five, most (86.4%) were supervised by an adult at the time of burn event. Of the 19 supervised children, 16 (84.2%) had body area surface burned (BSAB) of less than 20%. Two of the three children without adult supervision at the time of burn event had BSAB ≥ 20%. Overall, 59% of the patients had 20% + BSAB. Females (aOR = 1.25; 95% CI = 0.43–3.62), those burned in rural towns and villages (aOR = 2.29; 95% CI = 0.69–7.57), or burned by fire or flames (aOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 0.51–4.23) had increased odds of having a BSAB ≥ 20%, although these differences were not statistically significant. Children 0–5 years or 5–18 years (aOR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.01–0.17; aOR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.02–0.23, respectively) were less likely to have BSAB ≥ 20% than adults. Those burned in a rural location (aOR = 9.23, 95% CI = 2.30–37.12) or by fire or flames (aOR = 6.09, 95% CI = 1.55–23.97) were more likely to die. Children 0–5 years or 5–18 years (aOR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.03–1.18; aOR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.11–1.570, respectively) were less likely to die. Children constitute a significant proportion of admitted burn patients, and most of them were supervised at the time of the burn event. Supervised children (compared to unsupervised children) had less severe burns. Programs that focus on burn prevention at all levels including child supervision could increase awareness and reduce burns or their severity. Programs need to be designed and evaluated with focus on the child development stage and the leading causes of burns by age group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edrisa Sanyang
- Injury Prevention and Research Center, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA.
- Department of Public & Environmental Health, School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia, Brikama, PO Box 3530 Serrekunda, The Gambia.
| | - Corinne Peek-Asa
- Injury Prevention and Research Center, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA.
| | - Tracy Young
- Injury Prevention and Research Center, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA.
| | - Laurence Fuortes
- Center for International Rural and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52240, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Scott D, Siskind V. Patterns of Injury in Hospitalised One-Year-Old Children: Analysis by Trimester of Age Using Coded Data and Textual Description. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:ijerph13070674. [PMID: 27399742 PMCID: PMC4962215 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13070674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The second year of life is a time of rapid developmental changes. This paper aims to describe the pattern of unintentional injuries to one-year old children in three-month age bands to better understand the risks associated with developmental stages and, therefore, identify opportunities for proactive prevention. Injury surveillance data were used to identify children admitted to hospital in Queensland, Australia for an unintentional injury from 2002–2012. Falls were the most common injury, followed by burns and scalds, contact injuries and poisonings. Falls and contact injuries remained roughly constant by age, burns and scalds decreased and poisonings (by medications) increased. Animal- and transport-related injuries also became more common, immersions and other threats to breathing less common. Within the falls and contact categories falls from play equipment and injuries due to contact with persons increased, while falls down stairs and catching fingers in doors decreased. The pattern of injuries varies over the second year of life and is clearly linked to the child’s increasing mobility and boldness. Preventive measures for young children need to be designed—and evaluated—with their developmental stage in mind, using a variety of strategies, including opportunistic, developmentally specific education of parents; and practitioners should also consider potential for lapses in supervision and possible intentional injury in all injury assessments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debbie Scott
- Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
| | - Victor Siskind
- Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, Queensland 4059, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pant PR, Towner E, Pilkington P, Ellis M, Manandhar D. Community perceptions of unintentional child injuries in Makwanpur district of Nepal: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2014; 14:476. [PMID: 24886124 PMCID: PMC4031493 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Nepal, childhood unintentional injury is an emerging public health problem but it has not been prioritised on national health agenda. There is lack of literature on community perceptions about child injuries. This study has explored community perceptions about child injuries and how injuries can be prevented. Methods Focus group discussions were conducted with mothers, school students and community health volunteers from urban and rural parts of Makwanpur district in Nepal. FGDs were conducted in Nepali languages. These were recorded, transcribed and translated into English. A theoretical framework was identified and thematic analysis conducted. Results Three focus group discussions, with a total of 27 participants, took place. Participants were able to identify examples of child injuries which took place in their community but these generally related to fatal and severe injuries. Participants identified risk factors such as the child’s age, gender, behaviours and whether they had been supervised. Consequences of injuries such as physical and psychological effects, impact on household budgets and disturbance in household plans were identified. Suggestions were made about culturally appropriate prevention measures, and included; suitable supervision arrangements, separation of hazards and teaching about safety to the parents and children. Conclusion Community members in Nepal can provide useful information about childhood injuries and their prevention but this knowledge is not transferred into action. Understanding community perceptions about injuries and their prevention can contribute to the development of preventive interventions in low income settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Puspa Raj Pant
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Schmertmann M, Williamson A, Black D. Unintentional poisoning in young children: does developmental stage predict the type of substance accessed and ingested? Child Care Health Dev 2014; 40:50-9. [PMID: 22929012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2012.01424.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When children aged 0-4 years are analysed together as a group for poisoning risk, important differences for smaller age intervals by medicinal and non-medicinal substances are masked. These differences have been attributed to child developmental stages but no studies have been conducted that examine the predictive value of child developmental stage for poisoning by substance type, using 3-month age intervals as a proxy for developmental stage and adjusting for the effect of sex, socio-economic status and remoteness of residence. METHODS A population-based dataset of unintentional poisoning hospitalizations in children aged 0-4 years was used to predict the type of substance ingested. Associations between the type of substance and age, sex, socio-economic status and remoteness of residence were measured using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Children aged 12-17 months had significantly higher odds of experiencing a non-medicinal poisoning while children aged 24-41 months had significantly higher odds of experiencing a medicinal poisoning. Males and children from more disadvantaged and outer regional areas had higher odds of experiencing a non-medicinal poisoning. CONCLUSIONS Children aged 0-4 years differ in their stage of development and as a consequence, vary significantly in their ability to access their environment. Our results clearly show that odds of poisoning by medicinal substances compared with non-medicinal substances change as children age. This study provides evidence that child development predicts the type of substance accessed and ingested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Schmertmann
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Simpson J, Fougere G, McGee R. A wicked problem: early childhood safety in the dynamic, interactive environment of home. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2013; 10:1647-64. [PMID: 23615453 PMCID: PMC3709340 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph10051647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Young children being injured at home is a perennial problem. When parents of young children and family workers discussed what influenced parents' perceptions and responses to child injury risk at home, both "upstream" and "downstream" causal factors were identified. Among the former, complex and interactive facets of society and contemporary living emerged as potentially critical features. The "wicked problems" model arose from the need to find resolutions for complex problems in multidimensional environments and it proved a useful analogy for child injury. Designing dynamic strategies to provide resolutions to childhood injury, may address our over-dependence on 'tame solutions' that only deal with physical cause-and-effect relationships and which cannot address the complex interactive contexts in which young children are often injured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Simpson
- Injury Prevention Research Unit, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Geoff Fougere
- Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington 6021, New Zealand; E-Mail:
| | - Rob McGee
- Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; E-Mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schmertmann M, Williamson A, Black D. Leading causes of injury hospitalisation in children aged 0-4 years in New South Wales by injury submechanism: a brief profile by age and sex. J Paediatr Child Health 2012; 48:978-84. [PMID: 23078174 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2012.02590.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM To identify the leading causes of injury in children aged 0-4 years by single year of age using injury submechanisms and present a brief epidemiologic profile of each cause. METHODS Hospitalisation data for New South Wales from 1999 to 2009 were used to identify the leading causes of injury for children aged 0-4 years by single year of age. For each leading cause, rates over time and by sex were calculated by single year of age. Associated age and sex risk ratios were estimated. RESULTS The leading causes of injury for children aged <1, 1 and 2 years were falls while being carried, burns by hot non-aqueous substances and poisoning by other and unspecified pharmaceutical substances, respectively. Falls involving playground equipment ranked first for children aged 3-4 years. Each leading injury cause exhibited an age pattern that remained stable over time and by sex. Age predicted falls while being carried and both age and sex predicted the remaining leading injury causes, with age and sex interacting to predict burns by hot non-aqueous substances. CONCLUSIONS Epidemiologic analysis using single-year age intervals and injury submechanisms results in a clearer picture of injury risk for young children. The findings of this study provide detailed information regarding the leading causes of hospitalised injury in young children by age and sex. Child health-care providers can use this information to focus discussions of child development and injury risk with families of young children and suggest appropriate prevention measures in terms of a child's age and sex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Schmertmann
- University of New South Wales Faculty of Health Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zia N, Khan UR, Razzak JA, Puvanachandra P, Hyder AA. Understanding unintentional childhood home injuries: pilot surveillance data from Karachi, Pakistan. BMC Res Notes 2012; 5:37. [PMID: 22260430 PMCID: PMC3337295 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood injuries, an important public health issue, globally affects more than 95% of children living in low-and middle-income countries. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of childhood unintentional injuries in Karachi, Pakistan with a specific focus on those occurring within the home environment. Methods This was a secondary analysis of a childhood unintentional injury surveillance database setup in the emergency department of the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan for 3 months. The data was collected by interviewing caretakers of children under 12 years of age presenting with an unintentional injury to the emergency departments of the four major tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Results The surveillance included 566 injured children of which 409 (72%) injuries had taken place at/around home. Of 409 children, 66% were males and mostly between 5 and 11 years of age. Injuries commonly occurred during play time (51%). Fall (59%), dog bites (11%) and burns (9%) were the commonest mechanisms of injury. The majority of the children (78%) were directly discharged from the emergency room with predicted short term disability (42%). There were 2 deaths in the emergency department both due to falls. Conclusion Childhood injury surveillance system provides valuable in-depth information on child injuries. The majority of these unintentional childhood injuries occur at home; with falls, dog bites and burns being the most common types of unintentional childhood home injuries. Specific surveillance systems for child injuries can provide new and valuable information for countries like Pakistan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nukhba Zia
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Simpson JC, Nicholls J. Preventing unintentional childhood injury at home: injury circumstances and interventions. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2011; 19:141-51. [PMID: 22136531 DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2011.635208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
New Zealand's (NZ) preschoolers carry the greatest injury burden among children aged 0-14 years. These injuries commonly occur at home. To identify how NZ addresses child injury the 1990s national injury datasets and associated free text were examined retrospectively, NZ injury circumstances and interventions were compared to internationally recognised hazards and best practice, and whether NZ interventions addressed common circumstances of injury was assessed. Certain injuries, often associated with activities of daily living, were not addressed by interventions, although most interventions advocated internationally are implemented in NZ. Possible reasons for main injuries not being addressed were the specificity and variable effectiveness of interventions, normality of many injury circumstances, difficulties in evaluating complex environments, and the need for active intervention. There is considerable scope for NZ to improve its child safety. It is unlikely that simple solutions will be found for complex circumstances in which injury events occur. Strategies to address multifaceted problems requiring changes to personal, social and societal factors are required, with evaluation methods able to match their complexity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean C Simpson
- Injury Prevention Research Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, P O Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
| | | |
Collapse
|