title: Evaluating the impact of a child injury prevention project.
abstract: This article describes an evaluation study which assessed the effectiveness of a child injury prevention project in deprived localities. The initiative took place across the Bumley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust locality in East Lancashire. Families with children under five years of age living within this locality participated in the study. The intervention consisted of a home safety consultation and the provision and fitting of low-cost safety equipment to 1234 families and their homes within Sure Start programme areas that chose to access the Home Safety Equipment Scheme. In addition to this targeted work in these programme areas, a population-wide education and information campaign was provided across the whole locality. Rates of attendance at an accident and emergency (A&E) department by children aged less than five years of age following an injury were used to assess the outcome of the intervention. Results showed that over two years the proportion of children attending an A&E department reduced at a faster rate in the intervention than in the non-intervention wards, thereby reducing the health inequalities gap. It was therefore concluded that targeted work with parents of young children living in disadvantaged areas, together with the provision and fitting of low-cost safety equipment, can improve health and reduce inequalities among the local under-five population.
authors.affiliation: Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carman
authors.forename: Ellis
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lennon
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006302:Health Services Research; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*