Assessment of Detection of Potential Dog-Bite Risks in the Home Using a Real-Time Hazard Perception Test

Abstract

Dog bites are a serious public health concern internationally and children are often at particular risk of them. Because bites to children often occur during apparently benign interactions with a parent present, the need for dog-bite prevention approaches to address adults’ awareness of, and supervision of, child–dog interactions has been highlighted. The aim of this study was to evaluate a hazard perception test of potential dog-bite hazards within a home setting. Six hazards were incorporated in a 2-minute 41-second video, which was embedded into a web-based interface that enabled respondents to identify hazards by clicking the mouse button or tapping the screen of a tablet computer as the video played. The 268 volunteer respondents also completed a short questionnaire. These respondents were predominantly female and appeared more likely to have undertaken higher education and have greater experience with dogs than the general population. Almost one-third (31.8%) of respondents identified all six hazards, and a further quarter (24.5%) missed only one; a quarter (25.2%) identified 3 or fewer; and 43.8% identified 4 or fewer hazards. No one scored zero, and 5.5% and 6.9% identified 1 and 2 hazards, respectively. A range of factors was associated with the identification of specific hazards. Participants with professional or long-term experience with dogs and those with higher educational attainment were more likely to detect some hazards. Older respondents were less likely to identify several of the hazards, and those living with children were less likely to identify cuddling a dog as a hazard. We find that hazard perception testing could be a useful tool for the assessment of knowledge regarding dog-bite risk situations and potentially an educational tool for increasing knowledge and changing practices around dogs.