title: Pediatric exposure to choking hazards is associated with parental knowledge of choking hazards.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate parental knowledge regarding household food and non-food choking hazards.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross Sectional Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary Care Children's Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents presenting to a Pediatric Otolaryngology Clinic with a child <4 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parental survey asking which choking hazard foods (CHF) they allow their child to eat, previous instruction of CHF, knowledge of non-food choking hazards, and their knowledge sources.
  
  
  METHODS
  adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and logistic regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  492 respondents. Adjusted for significant covariates associations between correct knowledge of CHF and correct parents actions of disallowing CHF: fruit chunks (prior instruction=42%; correct action=25%; AOR=3.51; P<0.0001), hot dogs (59%; 28%; 1.75; 0.0178), raw vegetables (41%; 47%; 1.28; 0.198) popcorn (67%; 49% 2.64; <0.0001), whole grapes (68%; 51%; 2.2; <0.0001), nuts (73%; 66%; 2.47; <0.0001), chunks of peanut butter (45%; 79%; 2.55; 0.0003), sticky candy (79%; 80%; 2.16; <0.0033), gum (72%; 84%; 1.75; 0.028), seeds (65%; 87%; 1.4; 0.247), 76% always supervise meals, 57% always cut food, 62% know CPR. KNOWLEDGE OF NON-FOOD HAZARDS: Coins (97%), marbles (94%), small batteries (93%), small toy parts (93%), dice (92%), pen caps (92%), safety pins (85%), balloons (84%), syringes (40%). Sources of choking hazard knowledge: physicians (67%), family/friends (52%), books/magazines (40%), and the Internet (25%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental knowledge of CHF is incomplete. The consumption of CHF in children under 4 is significantly associated with decreased parental knowledge. Therefore, more parental education is needed.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, United States. bnichols@mcw.edu
authors.forename: Brent G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visotcky
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aberger
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tarima
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires