Computer technology that provides parents with customized safety information can be an effective way to help their children avoid injury, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Parents who received safety information tailored to their family's specific circumstances were significantly more likely to follow safety recommendations compared to parents who received general information. The study is published in the August 2007 edition of the journal Pediatrics.
"Injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. We have effective ways to prevent injuries, like smoke detectors and car safety seats, but many families, especially low income families, remain unprotected," said Andrea Carlson Gielen, ScD, ScM, lead author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research & Policy at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Our study shows that parents respond best when safety messages are tailored to their specific needs and beliefs."
The randomized controlled trial of the 'safety in Seconds program involved 759 parents of young children ages 4 to 66 months. The participants in the 'safety in Seconds program used a computer kiosk set up for parents in the emergency department of the Johns Hopkins Children's Center to answer a series of questions about their children, their own experiences and personal beliefs about safety. After parents complete the questionnaire, the computer generated a personalized safety report for them based on their responses. The control group received a generic health report.