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New Zealand children's involvement in home activities that carry a burn or scald risk
N Harré1, J Field, A Polzer-Debruyne
1Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. n.harre@auckland.ac.nz
Insights
Many young children engage in risky home activities, increasing burn risks. Prevention strategies must consider age and ethnic differences in child safety education.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric safety research
- Public health interventions
- Child injury prevention
Background:
- Elementary schoolchildren in Auckland, New Zealand, participate in home activities with burn or scald risks.
- Understanding children's involvement in hazardous domestic tasks is crucial for developing effective safety measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure self-reported involvement of elementary schoolchildren in home activities posing burn or scald risks.
- To assess children's knowledge of essential fire safety messages.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 421 children aged 7-13 years.
- The survey queried participation in activities involving hot water, fire, or burn-risk appliances.
- Knowledge of New Zealand fire service's three basic fire safety messages was evaluated.
Main Results:
- Involvement in risky activities increased with age; many young children performed hazardous tasks unsupervised.
- No gender-based differences in risky activity engagement were observed.
- Significant ethnic disparities were noted, with higher risk involvement among Maori and Pacific Islander children compared to European or Asian children.
- Fire safety message comprehension ranged from 79% to 91%.
Conclusions:
- Child involvement in hazardous household activities necessitates tailored prevention strategies, including school-based education.
- Prevention efforts should account for the age at which children undertake tasks and the specific needs of diverse ethnic groups.
Objectives:
The self reported involvement of elementary schoolchildren from Auckland, New Zealand was measured from home activities that carry a burn or scald risk.
Method:
A survey was conducted with 421 children aged 7-13 years. The survey asked children whether they carried out specific home activities involving hot water, fire, or appliances that carry a burn risk. It also measured their knowledge of the three basic fire safety messages taught to New Zealand schoolchildren by the fire service.
Results:
The results showed that although involvement levels increased with age, the majority of even the youngest children reported carrying out a number of the risky activities, such as preparing hot drinks, running their own baths, or using a microwave without help. No gender differences were found in the number of risky activities engaged in. Significant ethnic differences were found, with higher risk involvement by indigenous Maori and children of Pacific Island descent than children of European or Asian descent. Each of the three fire safety messages were correctly identified by between 79%-91% of the children.
Conclusions:
Investigation of children's involvement in household activities that carry an injury risk may help in the design of prevention strategies, including school based education. Prevention efforts need to acknowledge the ages at which children begin to undertake specific household tasks, including those that involve care for younger siblings, and be attuned to the needs of different ethnic groups.