The impact of a home visitation programme on household hazards associated with unintentional childhood injuries: a randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
The continued high mortality and morbidity rates for unintentional childhood injuries remain a public health concern. This article reports on the influence of a home visitation programme (HVP) on household hazards associated with unintentional childhood injuries in a South African low-income setting.


METHODS
A randomised controlled trial (n=211 households) was conducted in a South African informal settlement. Community members were recruited and trained as paraprofessional visitors. Four intervention visits were conducted over 3 months, focusing on child development, and the prevention of burn, poison, and fall injuries. The HVP, a multi-component intervention, included educational inputs, provision of safety devices, and an implicit enforcement strategy. The intervention effect (IE) was measured with a standardised risk assessment index that compared post-intervention scores for intervention and control households.


RESULTS
A significant reduction was observed in the hazards associated with electrical and paraffin appliances, as well as in hazards related to poisoning. Non-significant changes were observed for burn safety household practices and fall injury hazards.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed that a multi-component HVP effectively reduced household hazards associated with electrical and paraffin appliances and poisoning among children in a low-income South African setting.
Odendaal
Willem
W
University of South Africa, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, MRC-UNISA Crime, Violence and Injury Lead Programme, Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa. willem.odendaal@mrc.ac.za
van Niekerk
Ashley
A
Jordaan
Esme
E
Seedat
Mohamed
M
D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006792:House Calls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012449:Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013019:South Africa
D015386:Hazardous Substances