Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113257

Krista L. Jones, BS¹, Crystal Ricketts, PhD¹, Victor F. Garcia, MD², Rebeccah Brown, MD¹, and Richard Falcone, MD³. (1) Trauma Service, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, (513)636-7528, krista.jones@chmcc.org, (2) Director, Trauma Service, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, (3) Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, 45229, Albania

Injury prevention efforts must respond to ethnically diverse populations. The Hispanic population is the largest and most rapidly growing group in the United States. Little is known, however, about the specific knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and use of prevention devices among this cultural group. To develop effective injury prevention programs, current comprehensive data on Hispanic compliance with standard injury prevention strategies, awareness of available injury prevention techniques, and implementation of injury prevention techniques is essential. Three focus groups were conducted consisting of a total of 22 Spanish-speaking females with children under the age of 5 years. Information was obtained through a written survey and moderated discussions. The findings show that parents were generally uninformed about recommended injury prevention devices and techniques. The primary barriers identified by the moms included lack of information and the prohibitive cost of injury prevention devices. A majority of the mothers did not perceive a need for purchasing injury prevention devices and were more likely to close doors and “keep a close watch on their child”. Our findings suggest that on a day-to day basis, parents don't routinely think about injury and the need to engage in injury prevention practices. Effective educational injury prevention interventions aimed at Hispanics should build on knowledge of injury prevention strategies and the need to decrease risks. Based on these findings, there is a clear need for the development of culturally-sensitive focused injury prevention programs and materials.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.To identify barriers to the consistent use of injury prevention strategies.
• 2.Assess attitudes specific to the Hispanic community and attempt to understand cultural barriers for compliance.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.