Hazard For Children Research Articles

Built and social indices for hazards in Children's environments.

Leveraging the capabilities of the Historical Spatial Data Infrastructure (HSDI) and composite indices we explore the importance of children's built and social environments on health. We apply contemporary GIS methods to a set of 2000 historical school records contextualized within an existing HSDI to establish seven variables measuring the relative quality of each child's built and social environments. We then combined these variables to create a composite index that assesses acute (short-term) health risks generated by their environments. Our results show that higher acute index values significantly correlated with higher presence of disease in the home. Further, higher income significantly correlated with lower acute index values, indicating that the relative quality of children's environments in our study area were constrained by familial wealth. This work demonstrates the importance of analyzing multiple activity spaces when assessing built and social environments, as well as the importance of spatial microdata.

Surveying Parents’ Attitudes towards the Hazards of Children's Toys

The research aims to reveal the awareness of children's parents about the hazards of their children’s toys from the age groups (1-9 years). To examine the extent of their awareness of toy hazards and assess their attitudes towards them, the "case study" method was used. A survey was also built on the hazards of children's toys for this age group. The research attempted to cover most of the common toys available in the Saudi market. A random sample of 422 individuals who deal with children participated in the research. The findings revealed that the sample's responses to the hazards of toys were not reflective of the real risks. Also, most of the respondents do not read the instructions and warnings attached to the game, due to the lack of an approach or plan. In addition, those instructions and warnings are ambiguous and written in a foreign language which makes them difficult to read. They are often covered by the price tag of the game. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed the sample's perceptions of the forms of hazards in toys. Interpretations varied about the sources of hazards and the interpretation of the instructions attached to them. In light of the current findings, the research recommends that the relevant bodies examine toys according to agreed international standards, and increase consumers' awareness of the role of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO). There should also be a website for them to communicate directly with the consumer, similar to CPSC, and design national notices directed to the Arab consumer in the Arabic language to impose control over these products and thus protect children from threatening their lives.

Investigation of intervention methods based on different leading roles in family regarding child road safety education: An experimental study

Children are vulnerable to traffic injuries due to their low hazard perception. Previous studies have indicated that both parents and children have potential leading roles in safety education within the family. However, the effects of different leading roles (parents or children) on the hazard perception of children have not yet been revealed, and interactive education with children in the leading roles could also be an important means to enhance children's road safety. To fill this gap, based on constructivism theory and the Feynman learning method, this study proposed two methods of enhancing children's hazard perception based on different leading roles in the family regarding child road safety education and investigated the effectiveness of the above intervention methods. Thirty sets of parents and children participated in this experiment and were divided into three groups. The children received one of three different road safety interventions: a constructivism intervention, a parental guidance intervention or a children’s Feynman learning intervention. Compared with the constructivism intervention, the hazard perception of children who received road safety educations within the family were significantly improved; these children were more sensitive to potential traffic hazard factors and presented better visual search patterns. A comparative analysis showed that the two educational interventions based on different leading roles in the family regarding child road safety education were not identical with respect to effectiveness. The children’s Feynman learning intervention had a more significant effect than the parental guidance intervention. The findings of this study provide insightful information for safety education researchers, governments, educators and families with children.

Heavy metal pollution in groundwater of urban Delhi environs: Pollution indices and health risk assessment

The excess presence of heavy metals in water resources deteriorates the quality and has a high potential for bioaccumulation and environmental contamination. The study of heavy metals in water is essential because of their integration in the food chain and the potential for sublethal effects on aquatic and human life. To understand the extent of heavy metal pollution, a total of 64 groundwater samples (32 in each pre-and post-monsoon season) were collected around the Yamuna River's flood plains in the Delhi region. In this study, pollution indices and health risk assessment methodologies were used to estimate the significant threat to humans. In examined seasons, the sequence of heavy metal content in groundwater is Fe > Mn > Zn > B > As>Ni > Pb. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) revealed that in the pre-and post-monsoon seasons, 53% and 44% (HPI >100), of groundwater samples are at high-risk zone respectively. 53% of pre-monsoon and 56% of post-monsoon samples were found highly polluted, according to the degree of contamination (Cd). Moreover, health risk assessment shows that hazard index (HI) values for heavy metals were found significantly high (HI >1) in groundwater samples inferring increased non-cancerous risk to the local community. The results imply that continuous exposure can lead to chronic diseases in the population residing in the study region. In both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic assessments, children's hazard index and carcinogenic risk assessment (CR) scores were found higher. As a result, compared to adults in the study region, children are more vulnerable to potential health threats. The principal component analysis (PCA) method was used to figure out the origin of heavy metals, and it was found that As, Fe, Mn, and Zn come from non-anthropogenic sources, whereas mixed sources (natural and anthropogenic) may be responsible for B, Ni, and Pb presence. The results of the study will help to develop an effective strategy for environmental assessment and monitoring to control groundwater pollution of the Delhi urban environs.

Risk of psychiatric diagnoses in children and adolescents of parents with torture trauma and war trauma

Evidence point to intergenerational effects of trauma in refugee populations. This study estimates the risk of psychiatric diagnoses in children of severely traumatized refugees. The unique clinical sample consisted of refugee parents treated for torture trauma and war trauma, and outcomes were investigated using population-level data. A nationwide register study, following all children residing in Denmark. The exposure was parental torture trauma and war trauma, and outcomes were any psychiatric disorder, mood, neurotic, behavioural and emotional disorders and disorders of psychological development. Children's hazard of being diagnosed was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Study participants were followed from the date of birth or immigration to their 18th birthday. The cohort included 3346993 children of which 19294 were identified as offspring to traumatized refugees. During the study period, 205610 children were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Children with parents from the Middle East and Northern Africa had a hazard ratio of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.84) for those treated for parental trauma and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.81) for those not treated compared with children of non-traumatized Danish-born parents. For children of parents from former Yugoslavia, the corresponding estimates were 0.69 (95% CI: 0.58, 0.81) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.73). The results suggest that children of parents with and without registered torture trauma and war trauma have a lower risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder compared to children of Danish-born parents. These findings contradict research done on the transmission of trauma but supports evidence suggesting mental health services underutilization by refugee and ethnic minority populations.

Health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soils along the Central Elbe River, Germany

Floodplain soils across Central Elbe River (CER), Germany, vary considerably in potentially toxic element (PTE) content. However, there has never been a comprehensive study that links PTE levels with human health risk for children and adults. Our objective was to determine the contamination of 13 PTEs in 94 soil profiles along CER and assess the associated health risk via diverse indices for adults and children. Of 94 soil profiles, we measured soil properties and total content of arsenic, barium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, rubidium, tin, strontium, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium using x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). We calculated the Contamination Factor and the Pollution Load Index (PLI), and assessed the health risk for male and female adults as well as for children. Topsoil median contents of Cr (84 mg kg−1), Cu (42), Ni (33), and Zn (195) exceeded the Precautionary Values for sandy soils according to the German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance, while As, Pb, and V were 32, 73, and 77 mg kg−1, respectively. Median topsoil PLI was 1.73, indicating elevated multi-element contamination, with 90th percentile and maximum values being 3.20 and 4.31, respectively. All PTE concentrations were higher in top- compared to subsoils. Also at the 50th percentile the most enriched elements were Sn and As, followed by Zr and Rb, while in the 90th percentile Sn and As were followed by Zn, Pb and Cu. Median children's hazard index (HI) was higher than unity (HI = 2.27) and the 90th percentile was 5.53, indicating elevated health risk. Adult median HIs were 0.18 for male and 0.21 for female persons. Arsenic was found to be the primary contributor to total risk, accounting of 57.4% of HI in all three-person groupings, with Cr (17.3%) being the second, and V (10.2%) the third. Children's health is at dramatically higher risk than that of adults; also As, Cr, Pb, and V have a predominant role in contamination-related health risks. The presence of V, a less-expected element, among those of major risk contribution, reveals the necessity of monitoring areas at large scale. Our results demonstrate that our study may serve as a model for similar works studying multi-element-contaminated areas in future.

Current Opiate and Opioid Hazards in Children and Adolescents

The use of opiates and opioids by both adults and children is a growing problem in the United States. With the increased prevalence of prescription opioid misuse, efforts have been aimed to control the spread of this epidemic. Prescription opioids, however, only represent a portion of the opiate-like products available through prescription or illicit means. We describe the hazards and increased use of opioid-related products such as heroin, fentanyl, and buprenorphine as well as emerging products of abuse such as Kratom, loperamide, and carfentanil.

Managing children's risk of injury in the home: Does parental teaching about home safety reduce young children's hazard interactions?

Past research confirms that parents extend much effort to teach their young children about safety, but little is known about this process. The present study examined mothers’ use of teaching as a strategy to manage young children's risk of home injury and how this impacts children's hazard interactions. Mothers of three-year-olds completed an in-home room-by-room interview in which they identified injury hazards that concern them, reported on use of teaching to manage risk of injury from these hazards, rated children's understanding of these safety issues and compliance with behavioral guidelines regarding these safety issues, and reported on children's recent interactions with these hazards. They also completed questionnaire measures of how difficult the child is to manage and the child's typical level of risk taking. Results revealed that children's understanding of safety impacted both their compliance and hazard interactions, moderating the impact of risk taking on compliance and also the impact of children's difficult-to-manage score on hazard interactions. These findings demonstrate that teaching strategies need to effectively enhance children's understanding of the safety issue in order to reduce children's risk of hazard interactions.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: General and Oral Health Hazards in Children and Adolescents.

Ubiquitously unhealthy eating and drinking habits and the development of multiple morbidities, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, dental caries and dental erosion have become a major challenge for physicians, dentists and parents. Modernization has provided heaps of option for outdoor eating and sugar-containing drinks. Even the “diet” labeled drinks are considered not free from sugars and enhances calorie input. With the increasing trends of eating unhealthy, sticky and readily available, refined carbohydrate-rich foods and drinks, problems pertaining to body’s metabolic activity and oral health have also been significantly recognized. Dentists and pediatricians can play a pivotal role and should emphasize on patients’ education and counseling on the proper nutritional diet and health.

Quantifying the Heat-Related Hazard for Children in Motor Vehicles

Thirty-seven children on average die each year in the United States from vehicle-related hyperthermia. In many cases, the parent or caregiver intentionally left the child unattended in the car, unaware of how quickly temperatures may reach deadly levels. To better quantify how quickly temperatures may increase within a car, maximum rates of temperature change were computed from data collected on 14 clear days in Athens, Georgia. Also, a human thermal exchange model was used in a case study to investigate the influence of different meteorological factors on the heat stress of a child in a hot vehicle. Results indicate that a car may heat up by approximately 4°C in 5 min, 7°C in 10 min, 16°C in 30 min, and 26°C in 60 min. Within the vehicle, the dominant energy transfers toward the child are via longwave radiation and conduction from the hot interior surfaces of the car. Modeling simulations show that sun exposure and high-humidity conditions further increase the heat stress on the child but that a negative...

Determinants of controllable in-home child safety hazards : P. Greaves, D. C. Gkil, J. J. Kronenfeld, K. Jackson, Health Education Research, Theory and Practice, 9(3), 307–315

Past research confirms that parents extend much effort to teach their young children about safety, but little is known about this process. The present study examined mothers’ use of teaching as a strategy to manage young children's risk of home injury and how this impacts children's hazard interactions. Mothers of three-year-olds completed an in-home room-by-room interview in which they identified injury hazards that concern them, reported on use of teaching to manage risk of injury from these hazards, rated children's understanding of these safety issues and compliance with behavioral guidelines regarding these safety issues, and reported on children's recent interactions with these hazards. They also completed questionnaire measures of how difficult the child is to manage and the child's typical level of risk taking. Results revealed that children's understanding of safety impacted both their compliance and hazard interactions, moderating the impact of risk taking on compliance and also the impact of children's difficult-to-manage score on hazard interactions. These findings demonstrate that teaching strategies need to effectively enhance children's understanding of the safety issue in order to reduce children's risk of hazard interactions.

`One-Touch' Electrically Operated Motor Vehicle Windows: A Potential Hazard for Children

In the United States, traumatic injury is the leading cause of death in children 1 to 19 years of age. In 1986, fatalities from motor vehicle-related injuries accounted for 47% of all deaths from unintentional injury. Motor vehicle manufacturers continually introduce new convenience features to attract buyers. The "one-touch" electrically operated driver side window has become a popular convenience feature. This feature allows the driver to roll his or her window up or down by touching the control switch once in the desired direction. On some motor vehicles, window closing can be activated with a remote control device. This case report is presented to alert parents and health care providers of the potential hazard of this new feature.

Lead on wrappers of specialty foods as a potential hazard for children.

The lead content of the colored portions of wrappers from bakery confections, lollypops, chewing gum, and frozen confections ranged from 8 to 10,100 ppm (1.0%). This may endanger children.

Hazards of Children's Vitamin Preparations Containing Iron

Ingestion of iron preparations and vitamin preparations containing iron are the fourth most common cause of poisoning in children under 5 years of age. Unless treated promptly, mortality from acute iron poisoning has been reported to be approximately 50% in these young children. Iron compounds, commonly given to mothers during or immediately after pregnancy, have most frequently been associated with accidental poisoning of children. The iron compound frequently used is ferrous sulfate and the usual formulation is a tablet containing 300 mg. The tablets are often attractively packaged and sugar coated. Six or seven of these tablets are equivalent to 400 mg of elemental iron, a dose that is potentially fatal to a young child. Recently, the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all infants be given an iron-fortified formula until they are 1 year old. Iron-fortified cereals and other food products are being marketed