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Liquid-crystal thermometer use in pediatric office counseling about tap water burn prevention
M L Katcher1, G L Landry, M M Shapiro
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Insights
Providing a liquid-crystal thermometer alongside educational materials significantly increased tap water temperature testing in pediatric patients. This intervention enhances injury prevention efforts for tap water scald burns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric injury prevention
- Public health interventions
- Consumer product safety
Background:
- Tap water scald burns represent a significant pediatric injury concern.
- Effective prevention strategies are crucial for pediatrician offices.
- Understanding factors influencing parental behavior in water temperature management is key.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a liquid-crystal thermometer on parental knowledge and behavior regarding tap water safety.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an in-office educational intervention combined with a thermometer for preventing scald burns.
- To determine if providing a thermometer increases the likelihood of testing and adjusting hot tap water temperatures.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving pediatric clinic patients.
- Intervention groups received an informational pamphlet and discussion; one group also received a liquid-crystal thermometer.
- Follow-up assessments included telephone interviews and home visits to measure knowledge and behavior changes.
Main Results:
- The group receiving the thermometer showed significantly higher rates of temperature testing (46.4%) compared to the pamphlet-only group (23.0%).
- Reading the pamphlet was associated with increased temperature testing, particularly in the thermometer group.
- When water temperature exceeded 54.4°C (130°F), 77.3% of accessible water heaters had their settings lowered, regardless of thermometer provision.
Conclusions:
- In-office provision of facilitating devices, like liquid-crystal thermometers, can enhance behavioral compliance in injury prevention.
- Anticipatory guidance combined with simple tools can empower parents to take preventive actions against tap water scald burns.
- Further research can explore long-term adherence and the cost-effectiveness of such interventions.
Abstract:
Tap water scald burns are an important topic of injury prevention in pediatricians' offices. Consecutive pediatric clinic clients, randomized to two groups, received an informational pamphlet, a one-minute discussion about tap water safety, and a baseline questionnaire. The first group also received a liquid-crystal thermometer for testing maximum hot tap water temperature. One month later in a follow-up telephone interview (n = 503), the impact of the added thermometer on knowledge regarding scalding, temperature testing, and thermostat lowering was assessed. Approximately 80% of each group read the pamphlet. Reading the pamphlet was associated with greater temperature testing in the thermometer (T) group but not in the pamphlet only (P) group. Temperatures were checked by 46.4% of the T group but by only 23.0% of the P group (P less than .001). In the households in which the reported water temperature exceeded 54.4 degrees C (130 degrees F) and the water heater was accessible, 77.3% reported lowering the setting, independent of receiving the thermometer. The reliability of self-reported water temperature was assessed after 1 year by home visits. The use of relevant facilitating devices, such as a liquid-crystal thermometer, in-office anticipatory guidance efforts may increase behavioral compliance.
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