PERCEPTIONS OF RISK OF INJURY TO YOUNG CHILDREN

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The aim of this research project is to develop the concept of perceptions of risk as a mediating factor between certain socio- demographic, environmental, and social-psychological attributes of children and their parents and risk of injury. This research is based on an emerging social science theoretical framework using cognitive models to predict human behaviors. Within medical sociology and health education, the health belief model is an example of this as is behavioral decision theory in psychology. The major research question is whether parents' perceptions of risk to their young children (ages 1-4) are a major determinant of how parents organize their physical environment and pattern their behaviors to reduce the risk of injury to their children. A second research question is whether parents and health care providers accurately perceive the types of injuries for which children are at risk and how frequently they occur. Related research questions are whether parents and pediatricians have similar perceptions of risk and what are the sources of information about risk factors for parents. The research design includes cross-sectional comparisons of three different types of data collected in the Columbia, S.C. metropolitan area: questionnaire data from 1200 parents; interview data from health care providers, and injury incidence data from health care settings. In addition, a prospective component requires that parents be reinterviewed one year later to test causal linkages between perceptions, safety practices, and self-reported injuries. The parental data will be gathered through a random-digit dialing telephone screen and interview. All pediatricians and family practitioners will be contacted, along with health department nurse practitioners. The research team has expertise in social/behavioral research epidemiology, pediatrics, and biostatistics and much experience in questionnaire design and survey research. This theoretical approach can have practical applications. If perceptions of risk of injury are inaccurate and those perceptions are related to safety behaviors and actual injury incidence, an effective safety program for parents and providers will need to incorporate aspects of this model into program design.