A study to determine knowledge and practices of ndola urban residents towards home accidents in children.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and practices of Ndola Urban residents towards home accidents in children. A non-experimental descriptive research design was conducted using a standard questionnaire. The study was conducted in Ndola, on the Copperbelt Province. Ndola has an estimated population of 409,729, with children under 15 years comprising 44.3% of the population. The study was conducted between August and September 1997, using a systematically selected random sample of 60 residents from three compounds which were of low, medium and high density. The compounds were randomly selected. The study revealed that the majority of female respondents were knowledgeable on causes and prevention of home accidents than their male counterparts. This discrepancy was attributed to the fact that women are the care providers in the home and are always around children when accidents occur. The majority of the male respondents lacked knowledge because they do not take care of children and are never home when home accidents occur. The study also revealed that those with low education and those with no formal education lacked knowledge on home accidents.

The findings also revealed that 15 (25%) of the respondents obtained their information on home accidents from family members, and neighbours, while 19 (31.7%) obtained it from different sources, but the majority of them 26 (43.3%) had no information on home accidents from anywhere.