 |
|
Promoting Child Safety with Computers
August 06, 2007Computer technology that provides parents with customized safety information can be an effective way to help their children avoid injury, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Parents who received safety information tailored to their family's specific circumstances were significantly more likely to follow safety recommendations compared to parents who received general information. The study is published in the August 2007 edition of the journal Pediatrics.
"Injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. We have effective ways to prevent injuries, like smoke detectors and car safety seats, but many families, especially low income families, remain unprotected," said Andrea Carlson Gielen, ScD, ScM, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research & Policy at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Our study shows that parents respond best when safety messages are tailored to their specific needs and beliefs."
The randomized controlled trial of the "Safety in Seconds" program involved 759 parents of young children ages 4 to 66 months. The participants in the "Safety in Seconds" program used a computer kiosk set up for parents in the emergency department of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center to answer a series of questions about their children, their own experiences and personal beliefs about safety. After parents complete the questionnaire, the computer generated a personalized safety report for them based on their responses. The control group received a generic health report.
The researchers conducted follow-up interviews with the parents 2 to 4 weeks later to see how they responded to the safety messages. According to the results, the parents who received the customized safety reports scored significantly higher on knowledge of smoke alarm use and safe poison storage; they were also more likely to report correct child safety seat use. Ninety-three percent of the intervention parents said they read at least some of the safety report while 57 percent said they read the entire report. Lower-income parents who read the tailored reports were more likely to store poisons in the home safely compared to the control group. Higher-income parents in the intervention group were more likely to report correct child safety seat use than the control group parents. The intervention was equally effective for those with injured children and those who were being seen for a medical problem.
"Every year, millions of families visit an emergency department, providing an important opportunity to deliver injury prevention services. We are encouraged by these results, which suggest that computer technology holds promise for efficiently delivering patient education in busy health care settings," said Allen R. Walker, MD, co-author of the study and director of emergency medicine for the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Johns Hopkins University
The researchers conducted follow-up interviews with the parents 2 to 4 weeks later to see how they responded to the safety messages. According to the results, the parents who received the customized safety reports scored significantly higher on knowledge of smoke alarm use and safe poison storage; they were also more likely to report correct child safety seat use. Ninety-three percent of the intervention parents said they read at least some of the safety report while 57 percent said they read the entire report. Lower-income parents who read the tailored reports were more likely to store poisons in the home safely compared to the control group. Higher-income parents in the intervention group were more likely to report correct child safety seat use than the control group parents. The intervention was equally effective for those with injured children and those who were being seen for a medical problem.
"Every year, millions of families visit an emergency department, providing an important opportunity to deliver injury prevention services. We are encouraged by these results, which suggest that computer technology holds promise for efficiently delivering patient education in busy health care settings," said Allen R. Walker, MD, co-author of the study and director of emergency medicine for the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Johns Hopkins University
Child Safety Current Events and Child Safety News RSSChild safety seat education needs an extra boost
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children despite the widespread availability of effective child passenger restraint systems (CPRSs) such as child safety seats.
New UAB Study Finds Novice Parents Overlook Many Child-Injury Risks
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Psychology researchers report that new parents identified less than half of the safety hazards in a simulated home environment, and most perceived that their children were less vulnerable to injuries than other children.
Report identifies early childhood conditions that lead to adult health disparities
The origins of many adult diseases can be traced to early negative experiences associated with social class and other markers of disadvantage.
Government resources urgently needed to reduce childhood injury, say experts
Childhood injury surveillance in the UK is under-resourced and lags behind other European countries, say experts in this week's BMJ, ahead of UK Child Safety Week on 23 June.
Young infants should not be left unattended to sleep in car safety seats
Young infants should not be left unattended to sleep in standard car safety seats, warn researchers in this week's BMJ.
Child safety seats reduce risk of death in crashes more than seat belts alone
Young children involved in car crashes may have a greater chance of survival if secured in a child restraint system, such as a safety seat than if buckled only in a seat belt.
SUVs no safer than passenger cars for children, new study finds
PartNew research from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia shows that children riding in SUVs have similar injury risks to children who ride in passenger cars.
Identifying children at risk of abuse
Children whose mothers suffer domestic abuse are much more likely to be abused themselves. An article in BMC Medicine today shows that active screening significantly helps physicians to identify families that experience domestic abuse, and thus to protect children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that, "child abuse occurs in one third to three quarters of families that experience domestic violence". Identifying these women, and taking steps to intervene, may be one of the most effective ways to prevent child abuse. Dr Richard Wahl and his colleagues asked all families who visited the University of Arizona Pediatric clinic over a two-year period to fill in a child safe
What do children see when they see the police?
Children don't automatically recognise police officers in their uniforms, and the majority perceive people in other uniforms to be police officers. These are the findings of a study carried out by forensic psychologist Claire Cooke of Leicester University. Her research will be presented today Tuesday 23 March at the British Psychological Society's Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference in Leicester. Her study used a sample of 213 children from England and Wales, both male and female, aged between 7 and 16 years. The children were asked what they see when they see 'the police', by completing two tasks. In the first task the children were asked by a teacher to produce their own draw
Car safety seats expose children to worse vibration than adult passengers
Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered that children in child car safety seats are exposed to more vibration than adults in the same vehicle. The study, which will soon be published in The Journal of Ergonomics tested eight combinations of vehicle, child seat, child and adult on a specifically chosen road surface and concluded that children are jolted far more than adults. Joseph Giacomin, of the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering and author of the study says, "Most people think that because their child falls asleep in the car that the vibrations must be comfortable. However, until now we didn't know exactly how the child safety seat was affecting the vi
More Child Safety Current Events and Child Safety News Articles
 |
Safety 1st Essentials Child Proofing Kit- 46 Piece by Safety 1st Essential Child Proofing Kit, Targets Key Areas Of The Home, Includes 4 Door Knob Covers, 12 Cabinet & Drawer Latches & 30 Outlet Plugs. |
|
Outlet Cover & Cord Shortener by Safety First For total outlet protection, this home safety aid covers an entire outlet with plugs and includes a built-in cord shortener. Features: Child-resistant dual press releaseBuilt-in cord shortener prevents entanglementIdeal for outlets in usecovers one receptacle | |
 |
Safety 1st Drawers and Doors Safety Kit - 25 Piece by Safety 1st Safety 1st Drawers and Doors Safety Safety 1st Doors and Drawers Childproofing Kit features of the essential items needed to childproof your home!1 Finger Pinch Guard1 SecureTech@ Cabinet Lock3 Grip lsquo;n Twist Door Knob Covers7 Spring lsquo;n Release Latches14 Wide Grip Latches Finger Pinch GuardA simple but effective way to safeguard against the dangers of slamming doors is to use our Finger Pinch Guard. It also helps prevent children from accidentally locking themselves in a room. SecureTech@ Cabinet LockKeep cabinets off limits to little ones with our SecureTech@ Cabinet Lock. Our unique SecureTech@ lock indicator lets you know when the lock is secured, and it's easy to remove with the push of a button for parent-only access. Grip lsquo;n Twist Door Knob CoversGreat for bedrooms and... |
 |
The Safe Child Book: A Commonsense Approach to Protecting Children and Teaching Children to Protect Themselves by Sherryll Kraizer (Author) It's the most urgent and highly publicized issue facing America's family: how to teach our children to protect themselves in any situation. Based on the author's successful education workshop, which has been in operation since 1969 and has educated more than 50,000 parents and children nationwide, The Safe Child Book gives parents effective and nonthreatening techniques for teaching children how to protect themselves without making them afraid. Written by one of the few nationally recognized authorities on the subject, The Safe Child Book provides a comprehensive educational program covering a wide range of topics that concern parents today, including sexual abuse, abduction, leaving children alone, surfing the Internet, school safety, and choosing a day-care center or baby-sitter. |
 |
Organize.com Child Safety Latches, 12 Pack by Organize.com Keep your child safe from potentially dangerous situations around the home by installing these Child Safety Latches by Dream Baby. Sold in a pack of 12, these latches are easy to install using the included screws. The latches mount to the inside of the cabinet. The push down catch is easy for adults to use, but is difficult for little fingers. Children learn by watching and mimicking. Using a variety of different catches and latches throughout the home will help prolong the deterrent effect of child safety products. Combine this catch with our wide selection of kids-safety-solutions-door-cabinet-latchesDoor and Cabinet Latches also by Dream Baby. Provide even more protection by installing kids-safety-solutions-security-gatesSecurity Gates throughout the house. |
 |
Adhesive Mount Magnet Lock - Starter Set by Kid Co Inc. The only magnet lock that installs with out tools or drilling! Adhesive mount installation makes it ideal for any surface. Starter Set contains key set and two locks. |
 |
Mommy I'm Here cl-103br Child Locator, Brown by Mommy IM here Unique Child Security Device In Brown Bear Design; Works Up To 150 Ft Away & Emits A Loud 86 Db Sound; Securely Affixes To ChildS Sneaker Laces Or Belt; Easy To Use By Turning On Bear Receiver & Pushing Transmitter Button Once; Helps Keep Track Of A Child At Any Time; Water-Resistant Receiver; Parent-Invented & Fcc-Certified; Includes Lifelong Batteries; Brown |
 |
SAFETY SFTY 1ST WALL STRAP by Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. These straps will keep your child safe next to furniture and prevent accidental tipping. Features: Ideal for bureaus, book cases, shelf unit and armoiresDurable canvas straps help secure furniture to wallEasy to install |
 |
I Can Be Safe: A First Look at Safety (First Look at...Series) by Pat Thomas (Author), Lesley Harker (Illustrator) This friendly little book acknowledges kids’ fears and makes them aware of things they need in order to feel safe in different situations. They learn, for instance, to look both ways when crossing a road, to wear special clothing for sports, to know their parents’ names, phone number, and emergency numbers, and many other details. A First Look At… is an easy-to-understand series of books for younger children. Each title explores emotional issues and discusses the questions such difficulties invariably raise among kids of preschool through early school age. Written by a psychotherapist and child counselor, each title promotes positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers. The books are written in simple, direct language that makes sense to younger kids. Each title also... |
 |
Child Proof Deluxe Door Top Lock by Safety Innovations The Deluxe Door Top Lock rests on top of the door so tots can't reach it. A peg mounts on the door frame and the latch slides around the peg to lock and release. Perfect for interior basement doors or doors to the garage. Opens from either side of the door. Easy grip wand extension for shorter adults. Fits all standard interior doors up to 1 3/8" thick. Not for use with exterior or over sized doors. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |