CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This chapter of study will talk about the background, statements of problems, general objectives,

specific objectives, research questions, significance of study, scope of study and operational

definition of terms.

1.1 Background

The evolution of home safety has significantly transformed over the decades, beginning in the early 20th century when household accidents among children were rarely documented or publicly discussed. During the mid-20th century, increased awareness about child safety led to the development of basic safety standards, particularly concerning furniture stability and window guards (Morrison et al., 2019). As public health campaigns emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a greater emphasis on promoting safer home environments, leading to the establishment of more comprehensive guidelines and regulations regarding the manufacture of child safety products (Smith, 2021). The World Health Organization (WHO) organized a meeting in Yaoundé in 2018 to discuss the implementation of the national policy on injury prevention and control, with a focus on home safety (WHO, 2018).

Home accident is   a significant public health concern in Cameroon, where unintentional injuries are a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, disability and hospitalizations among children  0-5yrs (Mbuagbaw et al., 2017). Home accident is unintentional injuries that occur in the home or environment (Barcelos et al,.2019) In Cameroon, the majority of home accidents occur in rural areas, where access to health care, emergency services, safe drinking water and sanitation Is limited (Kamadjeu et al., 2018). The most common risk of home accidents include slippery floors,sharp objects, medications and cleaning supplies, unguarded stairs and poor ventilation  which are often attributed to poor housing conditions, inadequate supervision, and limited knowledge of safety measures (Tiedeu et al., 2020). To address the issue of home accidents in Cameroon, the government and healthcare organizations have implemented various prevention strategies, including education and awareness campaigns, Safety training programs and distribution of safety equipment (MINSANTE, 2019).

There are thousands of children living in varying degrees of disability which is one of the factors that can lead to higher morbidity rates in juvenile accidents (Cevik et al., 2017). Attributed to lower and middle   income countries where accidents are the cause of 13% of the total morbidity over 875,000 children 0-5yrs old pass away anally around the globe as the result of accidents which results in approximately 830,000 deaths annually Worldwide, with the majority of deaths occurring in low _middle income countries (WHO 2020).

 A study published in the journal of injury prevention found that a community   based intervention provided home safety education and equipment reduced the incidence of home accidents among children 0-5yrs by 35% (peden et al.,2020). Another published in the American journal of public health found that community based home safety intervention improved parents knowledge and practices regarding home safety by 55% in rural areas in Kenya (Ondigi et al.,2020) . The National safe Kids Campaign reports that home safety education and equipment’s such as safety gates and window guards can reduce the risk of home accidents among children by 70% (National safe Kids Campaign, 2020). UNICEF estimates that investing in home safety interventions can save up to 100,000 lives annually (UNICEF, 2020).

1.2 Statement of problem

Globally, it is estimated that 830,000 children under the age of 5 die annually due to unintentional injuries, with home accidents being a leading cause (WHO, 2020). This alarming trend underscores the need for effective prevention strategies to reduce the burden of home accidents on families and communities worldwide Mortality. In Africa, the situation                           is the under 0-5 rate due to unintentional injuries is 200,000 with many of these deaths occurring in the home environment (WHO, 2019). The continent’s limited access to healthcare, poor living conditions and inadequate safety measures worsens the problem, making it essential to develop context-specific solutions to  address this issue. In Cameroon, the burden of home accidents among children under 5 is significant. With an under-5 mortality rate due to unintentional injuries of 21,000 per 100,000 (WHO, 2019), there is a pressing need to investigate the knowledge and practices of parents regarding home accident prevention. This study aims to address this knowledge gap and inform the development of effective interventions to reduce the incidence of home accidents among young children in Cameroon. The sudden and tragic loss of a  brother due to a home accident has left an indelible mark on our family. His untimely death raised questions about the adequacy of safety measures in our community and the knowledge of parents/caregivers’ regarding home accident prevention. Therefore this study  aims to investigate parents/caregivers’ knowledge regarding home accidents prevention

1.3.1 General objectives

To assess parent’s/caregivers’ knowledge on the risk factors and prevention of home accidents among children 0-5yrs in mile 4 community Limbe.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

1. To find out parents knowledge on the risk factors of home accident among children 0-5yrs in Mile 4 community
2. To evaluate parents/caregivers knowledge regarding home accident prevention among

Children 0-5yrs in mile 4 community

3. To identify some challenges faced by parents/caregivers in the prevention of home accident

Among children 0-5yrs in mile 4 community

1.4 Research questions

1. What level of knowledge do parents/caregivers   regarding the risk factors of home

 accidents?

2. What level of knowledge do parents/caregivers’  have regarding home accident prevention?
3. What are the challenges faced by parents/caregivers in preventing home accident?