Related Experiment Videos
Evaluation study of the booklet "Preschoolers and Poisons"
B Foss1, J K Berkseth, B Qualley
1School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneaplis 55455.
Insights
Reading "Preschoolers and Poisons" significantly increased mothers' knowledge of childhood poisoning prevention. Almost half of mothers initiated preventive behaviors, with positive booklet evaluations overall.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health Education
- Toxicology
Background:
- Accidental poisonings are a significant risk for young children.
- Parental education is crucial for creating safe environments and preventing childhood poisonings.
- Existing educational materials aim to inform parents and caretakers about poisoning risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess knowledge gain regarding childhood poisoning and prevention among mothers after reading the "Preschoolers and Poisons" booklet.
- To determine if mothers initiated preventive behaviors post-reading.
- To gather mothers' evaluations of the educational booklet's effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- A pre-experimental, one-group, pre- and post-test design was utilized.
- Data collected via personal interviews from a convenience sample of 40 mothers at St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center's Pediatric Clinic.
- Post-testing conducted via phone 2-3 weeks after the pre-test in the clinic.
Main Results:
- Mothers demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge about accidental childhood poisoning and its prevention.
- A positive correlation was observed between increased knowledge and the age of the youngest child.
- Caucasian mothers exhibited higher baseline and post-intervention knowledge levels. Nearly half of mothers initiated preventive behaviors, linked to their own age.
Conclusions:
- The "Preschoolers and Poisons" booklet effectively enhances parental knowledge of childhood poisoning prevention.
- The booklet appears to motivate the adoption of preventive behaviors among mothers.
- Mothers provided positive feedback, highlighting the booklet's engaging format and age-specific organization.
Abstract:
Accidental poisonings remain a serious problem among young children. The booklet, "Preschoolers and Poisons," is part of the effort to educate the parents and caretakers to create a safe environment for their children. A pre-experimental, pre- and post-test, one group design, was employed with the purpose of determining if mothers of young children seen in St Paul Ramsey Medical Center's Pediatric Clinic had a gain in knowledge about accidental childhood poisoning and its prevention, and if they initiated preventive behavior after reading "Preschoolers and Poisons." The mothers' evaluation of the booklet was also solicited. A personal interview was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 40 mothers. The pre-test took place in the clinic, and the post-test over the phone, with an interim of 2 to 3 weeks. All participants read the booklet; 60% read the whole booklet and 40% read sections of interest. The mothers had a significant increase in knowledge, and a relationship between gained knowledge and age of the youngest child was found. The data showed that the Caucasian mothers in the study had a higher level of knowledge about accidental childhood poisonings and its prevention both before and after reading the booklet. Almost half of the mothers initiated preventive behavior. There was a positive relation between the initiation of preventive behavior and the age of the mother. Evaluations of the booklet were positive. Only 10% noted negative aspects such as the booklet being too short and missing a list of poisonous plants, while 80% identified positive aspects, such as the use of bright colors and the organization by age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)