Changes in parents' perceived injury risk after a medically-attended injury to their child
Takuro Ishikawa1,2,3, Louise C Mâsse4,2, Mariana Brussoni1,4,2,3
1Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia: Rm 2D19, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada.
Insights
Parents
Area of Science:
- Pediatric injury prevention
- Child health outcomes
- Parental risk perception
Background:
- Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of child hospitalization and death globally.
- Children with a medically-attended injury face a higher risk of re-injury.
- Understanding parental risk perception is key to effective injury prevention interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine when parents perceive the highest risk of injury recurrence in the year following a child's medically-attended injury.
- To inform the timing of parent-targeted interventions for preventing re-injury.
Main Methods:
- 186 parents of children (0-16 years) with unintentional injuries were surveyed.
- Perceived risk of same/any injury recurrence was measured at baseline, 1, 4, and 12 months.
- Mixed-effects models analyzed changes in perceived risk over time.
Main Results:
- Perceived risk of the same injury recurring remained stable.
- Perceived risk of any injury recurring peaked at the 1-month follow-up, then declined.
- Parents of children with a prior injury history reported higher perceived risk.
Conclusions:
- Emergency Department visits are not ideal for deploying injury prevention interventions.
- Follow-up visits, when parental risk perception is elevated, may be more effective for interventions.
- Targeting interventions based on parental risk perception can enhance pediatric injury prevention efforts.
Abstract:
Unintentional injuries are a major cause of hospitalization and death for children worldwide. Since children who sustain a medically-attended injury are at higher risk of recurrence, it is crucial to generate knowledge that informs interventions to prevent re-incidence. This study examines when, in the year following a medically-attended injury, parents perceive the greatest risk of injury recurrence. Since perception of injury risk is associated with parental preventive behavior, this can inform decisions on the timing of parent-targeted interventions to prevent re-injury. Study participants were 186 English-fluent parents of children 0 to 16 years, presenting at the British Columbia Children's Hospital for an unintentional pediatric injury. Parents were excluded if their child had a disability or chronic health condition. Perceived risk of the same and of any injury recurring were elicited from parents, when they sought treatment at the hospital, as well as one, four, and twelve months later. The study ran between February 2011 and December 2013. Mixed-effects models were used to analyze changes in parents' responses. Analysis indicates that perceived risk of the same injury recurring did not change. However, perceived risk of any injury recurring increased from baseline to first follow-up, then decreased during the rest of the year. Overall, perceived risk of any injury was higher for parents whose child had a history of injuries. Visits to the Emergency Department for a pediatric injury may not be optimal timing to deploy injury prevention interventions for parents. Follow-up visits (when parents' perceived risk is highest) may be better.
