Iranian rural health workers (behvarz) and risk factors of childhood injury

Abstract

The role of health professionals in childhood injury prevention has been recognized. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of and attitudes to childhood injury epidemiology and prevention of behvarz (rural health workers). A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 210 behvarz, randomly selected from rural areas of Khuzestan province. Many behvarz were not aware of the epidemiology of childhood injuries. However, they had positive attitudes towards all injury prevention activities. There was a positive correlation between their knowledge and attitude scores (P < 0.01). Childhood injury prevention programmes should be included in the training of behvarz and covered by primary health care programmes in the Islamic Republic of Iran.