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The Harstad Injury Prevention Study: prevention of burns in small children by a community-based intervention
1Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Breivika, Norway.
Insights
A community injury prevention program significantly reduced burn injuries in children under five by 52.9%. This success in Harstad, Norway, highlights the impact of public participation and community empowerment in preventing scalds.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
- Pediatric Safety
Background:
- Scalding is a leading cause of burn injuries in young children, often occurring in kitchens.
- Coffee was identified as the most frequent liquid causing scalds in children under five.
- Boys and children under two years old were disproportionately affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based injury prevention program targeting burn injuries in children under five.
- To assess the impact of active and passive prevention strategies on burn injury rates.
- To determine the role of public participation and community empowerment in injury prevention.
Main Methods:
- A community-based injury prevention program was implemented in Harstad, Norway, from 1987.
- Data from a hospital-based injury recording system was used for evaluation.
- A baseline period without intervention was compared to a subsequent 7-year intervention period, with a reference city used for comparison.
Main Results:
- The mean burn injury rate decreased by 52.9% in Harstad after program implementation (from 52.4 to 24.7 per 10,000 person-years).
- In contrast, burn injury rates increased in a reference city during the same period.
- The reduction in burn injuries was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Community-based injury prevention programs, particularly those enhancing public participation and community empowerment, are effective in reducing pediatric burn injuries.
- The active use of local injury data can drive significant improvements in child safety.
- Targeted interventions can substantially decrease the incidence of scalds in young children.
Abstract:
Burns are known to cause considerable morbidity and mortality, and scalding is the most common type of burn injury in small children. A community-based injury prevention programme was initiated in the Norwegian city of Harstad (22,000 inhabitants) in 1987 and evaluated by means of data from a hospital-based injury recording system. One part of the programme aimed at reducing burns in children below 5 years of age. Accident analyses based on the local database revealed coffee to be the most frequent liquid causing scalds, which mostly occurred in the kitchen. Sixty-six per cent of the injured were boys and two-thirds were below 2 years of age. The prevention study was divided in a baseline period (19.5 months) with no local intervention-and a succeeding 7-year period containing a wide range of active and passive prevention strategies. From the first to the second period the mean burn injury rate decreased 52.9 per cent, from 52.4 to 24.7 per 10,000 person years (P < 0.05). In a reference city located 1,000 km away, the rates increased from 61.9 to 68.0 per 10,000 person years (NS). The burn injury rate reduction was considered mainly attributable to the strengthening of public participation and the enhancement of community empowerment achieved by recording and actively using the local burn injury data.