A health promotion project to reduce unintenti.onal injuries in and around the home

This paper reports a health visitor-led health promotion initiative in a deprived inner-London community to reduce unintentional injuries in and around the home. Sessions were held in a children's centre: photography and participative theatre techniques were used to raise parental awareness of risks to children in the home, and to engage those attending in discussion and problem-solving. Mothers of Bangladeshi heritage attended, and sessions were co-facilitated by a Sylheti- speaking nursery nurse. Mothers were willing and able to participate and expressed enthusiasm about the project. They reported a raised awareness of dangers to children in the home, and a greater understanding of the limits to children's own abilities to assess risk realistically. Some behaviour change was reported. Mothers were also enthusiastic about the opportunity the sessions provided to meet each other and to discuss more general issues of health, including their own. The project offers a model of good practice creating a template using the arts, which focuses on a variety of health issues and engages the community.