Awareness of Domestic Accidents Among Mothers of Children Aged Less than 10 Years in an Urban Locality of South Karnataka: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Domestic accidents are one of the five leading causes of death due to injuries in industrialised and developed countries. Awareness about domestic accidents and their prevention can help in eliminating risk factors of accidents. Since children are vulnerable to accidents, the immediate caregivers must have adequate knowledge regarding the causes and prevention to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to accidents. Objective: To study the socio-demographic profile of the study subjects; To assess the knowledge on prevention of domestic accidents among mothers of children aged less than 10 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in the urban field practice area of a medical college in Southern Karnataka among mothers of children aged less than 10 years using a pre-structured proforma. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A total of 385 mothers were part of the study. 51.4% had good knowledge regarding domestic accidents and their prevention. There was a statistically significant association between the level of awareness of domestic accidents with maternal age, educational status, occupation, religion, type of family and standard of living. Conclusion: The knowledge of domestic accidents and their prevention was 51.4%.