Domestic accidents: an emerging threat to community

Abstract

Background: Domestic accidents are emerging as a new epidemic. They result in significant mortality and morbidity. Majority of the domestic accidents are preventable. Objective: To study the occurrence of domestic accident and awareness on its prevention in an urban community. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 members residing in an urban area. Complete information was collected through a semi-structured, pretested questionnaire. Domestic accident was considered when any of these individuals had met with an accident inside the house or in the immediate surroundings of the house. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical software (MS Excel and SPSS, version 20). Results: This study on the assessment of the level of awareness on preventive measures revealed that 40% respondents used apron while working in kitchen, 58% did not have a first-aid kit in the kitchen; 84% respondents said that subdue fire caused by electricity should be dealt with pouring water on fire; and 56% respondents were unaware that keeping the handle of the pan toward oneself may lead to tipping on contents on them and cause injury. Sixty-eight percent respondents were unaware about the storage of medicines in cool and dry places. Conclusions: The most common accident reported was cuts. The level of awareness regarding domestic accidents was not high among the residents and hence there is a serious need to address the problem through public health education.