Citation

Wang Y, Gielen AC, Magder LS, Hager ER, Black MM. Matern. Child Health J. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10995-019-02845-x

PMID

31832912

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Toddlers are vulnerable to unintentional injuries. A safety intervention targeting low-income families of toddlers, was effective at improving home safety. The current study examined whether the effect varies by initial home safety problems.

METHODS: 277 mother-toddler dyads recruited in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States during 2007-2010 were randomized into safety promotion (n = 91) or attention-control groups (n = 186). Observers rated participants' homes with a 9-item safety problem checklist at baseline, and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Initial home safety problems were categorized as multiple (≥ 4 problems) and none/few (< 4). Linear mixed models assessed the moderating effect with a three-way interaction (time, intervention, and initial safety problems).

RESULTS: At 12 months, the intervention effect was stronger among families with multiple initial problems than no/few initial problems, with a reduction of 1.55 more problems among the families with multiple problems, compared to the families with no/few problems (b = - 1.55, SE = 0.62, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS: Interventions targeting families with multiple safety problems may be more effective than universal programming.

Language: en

Keywords

Home environment; Intervention; Moderation; Toddler; Unintentional injury