Assessment of Home Environmental Risk Factors regarding Accidents among Preschool Children

Living conditions in rural areas has been identified as potent risk factors for home accidents in preschool children. The aim of this study was to assess the home environmental risk factors and their relation to accidents among preschool children in Tanta and Assiut govern orates. A sample of 620 mothers (312& 308 mothers from Tanta & Assiut respectively) who brought their children under six years of age for physical check up to Health Center were chosen. Each mother was interviewed individually in the Health Center, and then visited at home. Two tools were used for collection of data, namely (1) an interview questionnaire sheet designed to collect the sociodemographic data and mother’s awareness about home accidents, (2) an observation check list was used to observe home for potential environmental hazards for accidents. The results showed that 893 preschool children were affected by home accidents (432& 461 from Tanta & Assiut Respectively). Wound injury was the highest percentage and represented by (44.23%), followed by fall (41.88%), followed by animal bites (26.99%), and burn (21.16%) in Tanta and Assiut homes respectively. Nearly all homes had at least two potential environmental hazards leading causes of home accidents. The total score of inadequate knowledge among mothers in both homes were79.03% and safety considerations at home was not available by 87.10%. Individual predisposing factors were seemed to be significantly influenced by mothers’ age and education.