Improving Preschoolers' Fire Injury Prevention Using the Health Action Model

Area of Science:

• Childhood Injury Prevention
• Health Education
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Young children are at high risk for unintentional fire injuries.
• Early childhood programs often lack theory-informed fire safety prevention strategies.
• The Health Action Model (HAM) provides a framework for understanding health behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a developmentally adapted, HAM-based curriculum for enhancing preschoolers' fire safety literacy.
• To assess the impact of the curriculum on knowledge, attitudes, skills, intentions, and behaviors related to fire safety.
• To determine the sustained effects of the intervention over time.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design with 60 senior kindergarteners (5-6 years) in northern Taiwan.
• A five-week curriculum integrating simulations, multimedia, and drills based on HAM domains.
• Assessments included knowledge tasks, structured responses, and skill demonstrations rated by firefighters.

Main Results:

• The intervention significantly improved all five domains of fire safety literacy.
• The experimental group showed greater and more sustained improvements at follow-up compared to the control group.
• Sustained effects were notable in practical fire safety skills and intentions.

Conclusions:

• A theory-driven, mechanism-oriented curriculum effectively enhances preschoolers' fire safety literacy.
• The HAM-based approach leads to meaningful and sustained improvements in fire safety.
• Integrating structured fire safety programs into preschools is recommended for injury prevention.