Effectiveness of systematically delivered evidence-based home safety promotion to improve child home safety practices: a controlled before-and-after study

Taylor, Michael James; Orton, Elizabeth; Patel, Tina; Timblin, Clare; Clarke, Rachel; Watson, Michael Craig; Hayes, Mike; Jones, Matthew; Coupland, Carol; Kendrick, Denise

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of systematically delivered evidence-based home safety promotion for improving child home safety practices. Design: Controlled before-and-after study. Setting: Nine electoral wards in Nottingham, UK. Participants: 361 families with children aged 2-7 months at recruitment living in four intervention wards with high health, education and social need; and 401 in five matched control wards. Intervention: Evidence-based home safety promotion delivered by health visiting teams, family mentors and children's centres including 24 monthly safety messages; home safety activity sessions; quarterly â € safety weeks'; home safety checklists. Outcomes: Primary: composite measure comprising having a working smoke alarm, storing poisons out of reach and having a stairgate. Secondary: other home safety practices; medically attended injuries. Parents completed questionnaires at 12 and 24 months after recruitment plus optional three monthly injury questionnaires. Results: At 24 months there was no significant difference between groups in the primary outcome (55.8% vs 48.8%; OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.98 to 2.55) or medically attended injury rates (incidence rate ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.56), but intervention families were more likely to store poisons safely (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.07), have a fire escape plan (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.08), use a fireguard or have no fire (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.63 to 6.16) and perform more safety practices (β 0.46, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.79). Conclusions: Systematic evidence-based home safety promotion in areas with substantial need increases adoption of some safety practices. Funders should consider commissioning evidence-based multicomponent child home safety interventions.

Citation

Taylor, M. J., Orton, E., Patel, T., Timblin, C., Clarke, R., Watson, M. C., …Kendrick, D. (2023). Effectiveness of systematically delivered evidence-based home safety promotion to improve child home safety practices: a controlled before-and-after study. Injury Prevention, 29(3), 227-233. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2022-044745

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 18, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jan 31, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Deposit Date: Feb 6, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 6, 2023
• Journal: Injury Prevention
• Print ISSN: 1353-8047
• Electronic ISSN: 1475-5785
• Publisher: BMJ
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 227-233
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2022-044745
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16802104
• Publisher URL: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/29/3/227