OBJECTIVE: To pilot an in-home unintentional injury hazard assessment tool and to quantify potential injury risks for young children in a low-income urban setting. METHODS: Two low-income neighbourhoods in Karachi, Pakistan, were mapped, and families with at least one child between the ages of 12 and 59 months were identified. Using existing available home injury risk information, an in-home injury risk assessment tool was drafted and tailored to the local setting. Home injury assessments were done in June-July 2010 after obtaining informed consent. RESULTS: Approximately 75.4% of mothers were educated through at least grade 12. The main risks identified were stoves within the reach of the child (n=279, 55.5%), presence of open buckets in the bathroom (n=240, 47.7%) within the reach of the child, and pedestal fans accessible to the child (n=242, 48.1%). In terms of safety equipment, a first-aid box with any basic item was present in 70% of households, but only 4.8% of households had a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first time that an in-home, all-unintentional injury risk assessment tool was tailored and applied in the context of a low-income community in Pakistan. There was a significant burden of hazards present in the homes in these communities, representing an important opportunity for injury prevention. This pilot may have future relevance to other LMICs where child injury prevention is a critical need.
OBJECTIVE: To pilot an in-home unintentional injury hazard assessment tool and to quantify potential injury risks for young children in a low-income urban setting. METHODS: Two low-income neighbourhoods in Karachi, Pakistan, were mapped, and families with at least one child between the ages of 12 and 59 months were identified. Using existing available home injury risk information, an in-home injury risk assessment tool was drafted and tailored to the local setting. Home injury assessments were done in June-July 2010 after obtaining informed consent. RESULTS: Approximately 75.4% of mothers were educated through at least grade 12. The main risks identified were stoves within the reach of the child (n=279, 55.5%), presence of open buckets in the bathroom (n=240, 47.7%) within the reach of the child, and pedestal fans accessible to the child (n=242, 48.1%). In terms of safety equipment, a first-aid box with any basic item was present in 70% of households, but only 4.8% of households had a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first time that an in-home, all-unintentional injury risk assessment tool was tailored and applied in the context of a low-income community in Pakistan. There was a significant burden of hazards present in the homes in these communities, representing an important opportunity for injury prevention. This pilot may have future relevance to other LMICs where child injury prevention is a critical need.
Authors: Adnan A Hyder; David E Sugerman; Prasanthi Puvanachandra; Junaid Razzak; Hesham El-Sayed; Andres Isaza; Fazlur Rahman; Margie Peden Journal: Bull World Health Organ Date: 2009-05 Impact factor: 9.408
Authors: John C LeBlanc; I Barry Pless; W James King; Harry Bawden; Anne-Claude Bernard-Bonnin; Terry Klassen; Milton Tenenbein Journal: CMAJ Date: 2006-09-22 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Andrea Carlson Gielen; Eileen M McDonald; Modena E H Wilson; Wei-Ting Hwang; Janet R Serwint; John S Andrews; Mei-Cheng Wang Journal: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med Date: 2002-01