
Departmental Papers (SPP)
Title
Child Injury Risks are Close to Home: Parent Psychosocial Factors Associated with Child Safety
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
May 2007
Abstract
Objective: In several populations, maternal depression has been associated with reduced child safety. In an urban pediatric Emergency Department, we examined the relationship between parental depression, social support, and domestic conflict and child safety behaviors.
Methods: We studied consecutive patients in an Emergency Department. Trained interviewers used a structured instrument to assess patient, primary caregiver, and household demographics, socio-economic status, psychosocial factors, child safety behaviors (whether a gun was in the home, poisons were locked, a functioning smoke detector was present, and use of carseats or seatbelts), and whether the home was smoke-free. 1,116 patients provided adequate data.
Results: Depression was associated with a modest and not statistically significant reduction in child safety behaviors in this population. Lack of social support and the presence of domestic conflict were robustly, independently, and statistically significantly associated with less safe homes. Domestic conflict was associated with more smoking in the home.
Conclusion: In our population, child safety was associated less with depression and more with parental lack of social support and domestic conflict. These can be assessed in a Emergency Department and may be amenable to intervention.
Keywords
social support, depression, emergency room, child safety, domestic violence, injury prevention
Recommended Citation
Rhodes, K. V., & Iwashyna, T. J. (2007). Child Injury Risks are Close to Home: Parent Psychosocial Factors Associated with Child Safety. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/spp_papers/104
Date Posted: 21 March 2008
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
Postprint version. Published in Maternal and Child Health Journal, Volume 11, Issue 3, May 2007, pages 269-275.
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10995-006-0171-2