Evaluating an urban pediatric hospital's scald burn prevention program

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Trauma
• Burn Prevention
• Public Health Education

Background:

• Scald burns are a significant cause of hospitalization, particularly affecting children under 5.
• Existing prevention programs are inaccessible to low-income and underserved populations.
• The efficacy of scald burn prevention in these communities is largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a hospital-developed scald burn prevention program.
• To assess its effectiveness in a low-income, underserved community.
• To measure caregiver knowledge and program impact.

Main Methods:

• A one-hour educational program was delivered to caregivers of children aged 5 and under.
• Caregivers completed pre- and post-program surveys assessing risk identification and program utility.
• Paired t-tests were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Caregiver identification of hot objects improved from 83.17% to 92.31% (p < .001).
• 95% of caregivers found the program helpful, with 100% intending to use the information.
• 99% of caregivers planned to share the prevention strategies.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-led education effectively enhances caregiver identification of scald burn risks.
• Targeted prevention programs can reduce scald burn prevalence in underserved populations.
• This intervention offers a scalable model for community-wide burn injury reduction.