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An evaluation of a dog bite prevention intervention in the pediatric emergency department
Cinnamon A Dixon1, Wendy J Pomerantz, Kimberly W Hart
1From the Division of Emergency Medicine (C.A.D., W.J.P., E.M.M.-G.), and Center for Global Health, Department of Pediatrics (C.A.D.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Emergency Medicine (K.W.H., C.J.L.), University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Insights
A video intervention significantly improved dog bite prevention knowledge in children aged 5-9. Most parents found the educational program acceptable for pediatric emergency departments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Public Health Interventions
- Child Safety Education
Background:
- Childhood dog bites represent a significant public health concern.
- Existing dog bite prevention education for children is limited.
- Assessing novel intervention strategies is crucial for injury prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a video-based intervention's effectiveness in enhancing children's knowledge of safe dog interactions.
- To identify factors associated with knowledge acquisition.
- To determine parental acceptance of delivering this intervention in a pediatric emergency department (PED).
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental study involving 120 child-parent pairs in a PED.
- Children (5-9 years) completed a knowledge test before and after a video intervention.
- Parental surveys collected sociodemographic and experiential data.
Main Results:
- Pre-intervention pass rate was 58%, increasing to 90% post-intervention.
- 83% of children showed knowledge improvement, particularly regarding stray or protective dogs.
- Younger age was linked to lower post-intervention scores; 93% of parents supported the intervention in the PED.
Conclusions:
- Child knowledge regarding dog bite prevention is often inadequate.
- The tested video intervention effectively boosts short-term knowledge in young children.
- Parental acceptance is high, supporting its implementation in pediatric settings.
Background:
This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a video-based dog bite prevention intervention at increasing child knowledge and describe any associated factors and to assess the acceptability of providing this intervention in a pediatric emergency department (PED).
Methods:
This cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study enrolled a convenience sample of 5-year-old to 9-year-old patients and their parents, presenting to a PED with nonurgent complaints or dog bites. Children completed a 14-point simulated scenario test used to measure knowledge about safe dog interactions before and after a video intervention. Based on previous research, a passing score (≥ 11/14) was defined a priori. Parents completed surveys regarding sociodemographics, dog-related experiential history, and the intervention.
Results:
There were 120 child-parent pairs. Mean (SD) child age was 7 (1) years, and 55% were male. Of the parents, 70% were white, two thirds had higher than high school education, and half had incomes less than $40,000. Current dog ownership was 77%; only 6% of children had received previous dog bite prevention education. Test pass rate was 58% before the intervention and 90% after the intervention. Knowledge score increased in 83% of children; greatest increases were in questions involving stray dogs or dogs that were fenced or eating. Younger child age was the only predictor of failing the posttest (p < 0.001). Nearly all parents found the intervention informative; 93% supported providing the intervention in the PED.
Conclusion:
Child knowledge of dog bite prevention is poor. The video-based intervention we tested seems efficacious at increasing short-term knowledge in 5-year-old to 9-year-old children and is acceptable to parents. Parents strongly supported providing this education.
