title: Evaluation of a Drowning Prevention Program Based on Testimonial Videos: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: Unintentional drowning is the most common cause of childhood death in rural China. Global intervention efforts offer mixed results regarding the efficacy of educational programs.
  
  
  
  Using a randomized controlled design, we evaluated a testimonial-based intervention to reduce drowning risk among 280 3rd- and 4th-grade rural Chinese children. Children were randomly assigned to view either testimonials on drowning risk (intervention) or dog-bite risk (control). Safety knowledge and perceived vulnerability were measured by self-report questionnaires, and simulated behaviors in and near water were assessed with a culturally appropriate dollhouse task.
  
  
  
  Children in the intervention group had improved children's safety knowledge and simulated behaviors but not perceived vulnerability compared with controls.
  
  
  
  The testimonial-based intervention's efficacy appears promising, as it improved safety knowledge and simulated risk behaviors with water among rural Chinese children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and jiabin.shen@nationwidechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Jiabin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology.
authors.forename: Shulan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schwebel
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002681:China; D004332:Drowning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012423:Rural Health; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: China; child; drowning; prevention; rural; testimonial