Objective: Accidents,
the majority of which can be prevented, are a significant cause of morbidity
and mortality in children. In the 0-6 years age group in particular, the vast
majority of accidents occur in the home or surroundings. Therefore, the
knowledge and awareness of mothers is of great importance in the prevention of
accidents.
The aim of this study was to
investigate the frequency, type and risk factors of home accidents in children
aged 0-6 years, and to determine the precautions taken against home accidents
by the mothers.
Method: This descriptive, questionnaire study was conducted on the mothers of
children aged 0-6 years who presented at the Pediatrics Polyclinic of
Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Sivas. Mothers completed the questionnaire
which was composed of four chapters and included the “Scale for Identification
by Mothers of the Safety Measures Taken by Mothers to Prevent Home Accidents in
Children in the 0-6 Age Group”.
Results:
The
study included 375 mothers. The rate of accidents requiring hospitalization in
chidren was 38.9%. The most frequent accidents were falls and poisonings. The
scale points of the mothers were mean 177.25±14.62. A significant relationship
was determined between the scale points of the mother and maternal education
level, number of children, a child aged <2 years in the home, maternal
health status, place of residence, safety precautions taken by the mother, the
presence of a dependent cared for at home, the mother’s perception of the child’s
character, the use of a baby walker and use of a car-child-seat (p<0.05).
The risk of home accident requiring hospitalization was determined to be
increased 2.09-fold in a family with ≥2 children compared to those with one
child, by 1.76-fold if the mother was caring for the child rather than another
person, and by 1.58-fold if the mother had not completed high school or
university.
Conclusions: Providing
information to mothers about in a timely and manner of taking appropriate
precautions against home accidents should be a part of routine child
examinations.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Health Care Administration |
Journal Section | Medical Science Research Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | June 30, 2019 |
Acceptance Date | June 12, 2019 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019Volume: 41 Issue: 2 |