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Home injury risks to young children in Karachi, Pakistan: a pilot study
Uzma Rahim Khan1, Aruna Chandran, Nukhba Zia
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, , Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Insights
A new home injury risk assessment tool piloted in Pakistan identified significant hazards for young children, including accessible stoves and open buckets. This highlights a critical need for child injury prevention in low-income communities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Unintentional injuries pose a significant threat to child health globally.
- Low-income urban settings often present unique environmental hazards.
- Effective injury prevention strategies require accurate risk assessment tools tailored to local contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pilot an in-home unintentional injury hazard assessment tool for young children.
- To quantify potential injury risks in a low-income urban community in Pakistan.
Main Methods:
- Two low-income neighborhoods in Karachi, Pakistan, were mapped.
- Families with children aged 12-59 months were identified.
- An in-home injury risk assessment tool was drafted, tailored to the local setting, and applied in June-July 2010.
Main Results:
- Common hazards included stoves (55.5%), open buckets (47.7%), and accessible pedestal fans (48.1%).
- While 70% of households had a first-aid box, only 4.8% had a fire extinguisher.
- Mothers' education level was approximately 75.4% through at least grade 12.
Conclusions:
- This pilot study introduced the first in-home, all-unintentional injury risk assessment tool for a low-income community in Pakistan.
- A substantial burden of home hazards was identified, indicating a key opportunity for injury prevention.
- The tool and findings hold potential relevance for child injury prevention in other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Objective:
To pilot an in-home unintentional injury hazard assessment tool and to quantify potential injury risks for young children in a low-income urban setting.
Methods:
Two low-income neighbourhoods in Karachi, Pakistan, were mapped, and families with at least one child between the ages of 12 and 59 months were identified. Using existing available home injury risk information, an in-home injury risk assessment tool was drafted and tailored to the local setting. Home injury assessments were done in June-July 2010 after obtaining informed consent.
Results:
Approximately 75.4% of mothers were educated through at least grade 12. The main risks identified were stoves within the reach of the child (n=279, 55.5%), presence of open buckets in the bathroom (n=240, 47.7%) within the reach of the child, and pedestal fans accessible to the child (n=242, 48.1%). In terms of safety equipment, a first-aid box with any basic item was present in 70% of households, but only 4.8% of households had a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
Conclusions:
This was the first time that an in-home, all-unintentional injury risk assessment tool was tailored and applied in the context of a low-income community in Pakistan. There was a significant burden of hazards present in the homes in these communities, representing an important opportunity for injury prevention. This pilot may have future relevance to other LMICs where child injury prevention is a critical need.
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