Frequency and Associated Factors of Home Injuries in Pre-school Children over 3 Years of Age

Abstract

Aim: The home injury risk of children is high because of a lack of awareness to danger, a sensitivity to environmental risks and curiosity about finding and learning new things. The main aims of this study were to determine the frequency of home injuries in children over 3 years of age; to examine the relationship between the frequency of home injuries and the characteristics of the home and the safety measures taken. Materials and Methods: The study data were collected through a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, safety of the home and the “Scale for Identification by Mothers of the Safety Measures Taken to Prevent Home Injuries in Children between 0-6 Ages”. Results: In this study, it was determined that 26.4% of children had had a home injury at least once in their life, and 7.3% of the children had had a home injury during the previous year. The most common home injury was falling and the most frequently injured area was the upper and/or lower extremity. It was determined that the injuries occurred most frequently in the lounge, in summer, on Tuesdays, and in the afternoon. Conclusion: Supervision of children is very important in terms of preventing possible injuries. It should not be forgotten that home injuries are preventable. Parents should be educated with regards to home injuries.