Evaluation of a child safety program based on the WHO safe community model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of the World Health Organization (WHO) Safe Community model with respect to child injuries.


METHODS
A population based quasiexperimental design was used. Cross sectional pre-implementation and post-implementation data were collected in intervention (Motala municipality) and control (Mjölby municipality) areas, both in Ostergötland county, Sweden.


RESULTS
The total relative risk of child injury in the intervention community decreased more (odds ratio 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.81) than in a control community exposed only to national level injury prevention programs (0.93; 95% CI 0.82 to 1.05). The relative risk of moderately (abbreviated injury scale (AIS) 2) severe injury in the study area was reduced to almost a half (odds ratio 0.49; 95% Cl 0.41 to 0.57), whereas the risk of minor (AIS 1) injuries decreased only slightly (odds ratio 0.89; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.99). The risk of severe or fatal (AIS 3-6) injuries remained constant.


CONCLUSIONS
After introduction of an injury prevention program based on the WHO Safe Community model, the relative risk for child injury in the intervention community decreased significantly more than in a control community exposed only to national injury prevention programs.
Lindqvist
K
K
Department of Health and Society, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden. kenli@ihm.liu.se
Timpka
T
T
Schelp
L
L
Risto
O
O
D000056:Accident Prevention; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014944:World Health Organization; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*