Citation

Nichols BG, Visotcky A, Aberger M, Braun NM, Shah R, Tarima S, Brown DJ. Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. 2012; 76(2): 169-173.

Affiliation

Medical College of Wisconsin, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijporl.2011.10.018

PMID

22169464

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate parental knowledge regarding household food and non-food choking hazards. DESIGN: Cross Sectional Survey. SETTING: Tertiary Care Children's Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Parents presenting to a Pediatric Otolaryngology Clinic with a child <4 years old. METHODS: Parental survey asking which choking hazard foods (CHF) they allow their child to eat, previous instruction of CHF, knowledge of non-food choking hazards, and their knowledge sources. Statistics: adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and logistic regressions. RESULTS: 492 respondents. Adjusted for significant covariates associations between correct knowledge of CHF and correct parents actions of disallowing CHF: fruit chunks (prior instruction=42%; correct action=25%; AOR=3.51; P<0.0001), hot dogs (59%; 28%; 1.75; 0.0178), raw vegetables (41%; 47%; 1.28; 0.198) popcorn (67%; 49% 2.64; <0.0001), whole grapes (68%; 51%; 2.2; <0.0001), nuts (73%; 66%; 2.47; <0.0001), chunks of peanut butter (45%; 79%; 2.55; 0.0003), sticky candy (79%; 80%; 2.16; <0.0033), gum (72%; 84%; 1.75; 0.028), seeds (65%; 87%; 1.4; 0.247), 76% always supervise meals, 57% always cut food, 62% know CPR. KNOWLEDGE OF NON-FOOD HAZARDS: Coins (97%), marbles (94%), small batteries (93%), small toy parts (93%), dice (92%), pen caps (92%), safety pins (85%), balloons (84%), syringes (40%). Sources of choking hazard knowledge: physicians (67%), family/friends (52%), books/magazines (40%), and the Internet (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Parental knowledge of CHF is incomplete. The consumption of CHF in children under 4 is significantly associated with decreased parental knowledge. Therefore, more parental education is needed.

Language: en