Prevention of domestic accidents in childhood: knowledge of caregivers at a health care facility.

Ana Leticia Monteiro Gomes,Rayanne Rodrigues Dos Santos,Maria Estela Diniz Machado,Rosane Cordeiro Burla De Aguiar,Marialda Moreira Christoffel

doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0006

Ana Leticia Monteiro Gomes, Rayanne Rodrigues Dos Santos + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0006

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Abstract

To analyze caregivers' knowledge about prevention of domestic accidents in early childhood and its association with education level. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a Primary Care Unit in Niterói with caregivers (convenience sample) of children under 6 years old. To classify the knowledge, we adopted the Positivity Index; to verify the association between the variable "schooling" and knowledge, the chi square test was used; statistically significant results: p < 0.05. A total of 256 caregivers participated; 93.5% showed adequate knowledge. In the individual items, the knowledge (100%) about prevention of accidents with sharp toys, firearms, intoxication by products stood out; and less frequently (64.5%), the knowledge of the information contained in the Child's Health Booklet. There was no statistically significant association (p = 0.237) between education and knowledge. Conclusion: The caregivers presented knowledge about the prevention of domestic accidents, and this was not associated with the level of education.

Highlights

Accidents are considered unintentional injuries identified in traffic events, drowning, airway obstruction, poisoning, intoxication, burns, electric shock, firearm accidents, among others
Multiple factors may be related to domestic accidents, such as not directly supervising the children; caregivers’ resistance to change their behavior for accident prevention; unfavorable socioeconomic level; lack of orientation from health professionals[22]; presence of tools, plastic bags, sharp materials arranged and accessible in the house; the type of furniture; free access to the places of greatest risk, such as kitchen, bathroom, balcony, windows, laundry room, swimming pools, etc.; the caregiver’s own perception of the child’s capacity to have a risk attitude related to his/her stage of development; among others[23]
The results presented bring more information about the weaknesses related to the caregivers’ knowledge about accident prevention in early childhood

Summary

Introduction

Accidents are considered unintentional injuries identified in traffic events, drowning, airway obstruction, poisoning, intoxication, burns, electric shock, firearm accidents, among others. They are responsible for high morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents, being considered a public health problem[1]. In Brazil, according to data from the Mortality System (MIS) of the Ministry of Health, in 2019, 3,568 people between the ages of zero and 14 died due to accidents, representing 7.3% of all deaths in this age group[4]. In the same year, approximately 113 thousand people from zero to 14 years of age were hospitalized due to accidents[2]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion