Readiness of Omani Families to Prevent Accidental Injuries at Home in Children Younger than Six Years Old.

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to assess the attitude of Omani families toward accidental injuries among children (aged < 6 years) and evaluate the safety measures and available preventive measures to reduce child injuries at home.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey examining the self-reported attitudes of Omani parents about accidental injuries (poisoning, falls, burns, and drowning) at home among children younger than six and house safety measures. A total of 220 parents of children aged < 6 years, admitted to a tertiary healthcare teaching hospital, were invited to participate over a period of six months (May to November 2018). Analysis of 178 participant data was performed using SPSS, as 44 of the answered questionnaires had missing data, or were related to children over the age of six.

Results: Only 16.9% of the Omani families had a history of a child injury in the year before the study. Males were more injured (61.0%) and 66.0% were younger than three years at the time of injury. A door to control access to stairs was available for 53.8% of the families. In 42.5% and 16.0% of the houses, children could access electrical sockets and wires, respectively. Fire alarms and extinguishers were not available in 90.8% and 82.1% of houses, respectively. Those who did not store medications and chemicals in safe places out of reach of children accounted for 56.7% and 63.3% of families, respectively.

Conclusions: Many of the studied families are not providing an adequate safe environment for children in their houses. Therefore, actions should be taken to increase awareness about accidental injuries prevention within homes and to implement actions so that a safe home environment can be enjoyed by children.