5B.004 Preventing childhood injuries in Uganda – development of a child safety kit. (14th March 2021) - Puvanachandra, Prasanthi
Abstract : Background: Globally, nearly 650, 000 children lose their lives to injuries every year. Injuries occurring in and around the home to children under 5 years (burns, falls, drowning, poisoning) can be prevented through providing safety equipment e.g. barriers, childproof containers. A number of studies have shown significant reductions in child injuries following this approach but all studies have thus far been conducted in high-income countries. Our research aims to reduce unintentional home injuries among under 5's in Jinja, Uganda through the provision of a child safety kit and parental education. Methods: This study is guided by a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach utilizing mixed methods. A quantitative retrospective review of hospital data is combined with a community-based household survey and risk assessment checklist tool to provide incidence and risk factor data. A deeper exploration of attitudes and perceptions of injuries in the home along with participatory workshops is provided through focus-group discussions and Photovoice. Results: Data collection is currently underway and will be analysed between March-June 2020. Conclusion: This formative research will contextualize the problem and develop an intervention package including the child safety kit, educational material, parent training workshops and an awareness campaign. The findings will inform the development of a culturally appropriate/affordable safety kit and provide accurate incidence rates on which to base sample size calculations for an intervention trial to measure behaviour change and reductions in injuries. Learning Outcomes: The results will have significant implications for other low-income countries both in terms of research methodology and effectiveness information.