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Home Safety Practices for Prevention of Poisoning in Young Children
lower in this study as the denominator includes all children in the household aged 0-12 years of age.
5.4 Meaning of the Study Possible Mechanism and Implication for Clinicians Policymakers
The high rate of unsafe households i.e. between 60-71 of urban and semi-urban households calls for some intervention to improve the situation. The single most
powerful means of change is the Home Safety Audit Tool.
5.5 Unanswered Questions and Future Research
One concern is whether parents will sustain good home poison safety practices after this study is over. The fact that caregiver were aware that health personnel
were returning for an audit may have contributed to them maintaining safe home practices. This could be answered by an unannounced audit one year after the 3
rd
Audit. It was uncertain from the study what impacts the use of a safety device had in
changing the household behaviour to prevent poisoning. Finally, the rate of unsafe household in rural communities is not known and needs to be investigated.
6.0 CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS
This study shows between 60-71 of urban and semi-urban households in Perak have unsafe home safety practices to prevent poisoning in young children.
The intervention package, mainly the Home Safety Practices Audit developed by the researchers for this study, significantly improved home poisoning safety practices. 75.7-
85.3 of urban and semi-urban households in Perak had a safe home to prevent poisoning in children at the end of the study.
Addition of the safety device with the Home Safety Practices Audit further improves home poisoning safety practices.
Knowledge and perception does not ensure a safe household in preventing poisoning in young children.
Recommendation: 1.
There is a need to support parents to make their home poison safe. 2.
The Audit Mechanism and Package used in this study should be used by the Family Health Development Division of the Ministry Of Health Malaysia so that public health
nurses can enable caregivers to improve poison safety practices in homes.
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