Impact of a community based fire prevention intervention on fire safety knowledge and behavior in elementary school children. |
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| Authors: | V Hwang G P Duchossois J F Garcia-Espana D R Durbin |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Emergency Medicine, INOVA Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA 22042, USA. vivhwang@cox.net |
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| Abstract: | The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a community based fire prevention intervention directed only to parents on the fire safety knowledge and behavior in elementary school children. This was a prospective, quasi-randomized controlled study in which third and fourth grade students from two elementary schools in an urban, poor, minority community completed knowledge/behavior surveys at baseline and following completion of the intervention. The intervention group received an in-home visit from fire department personnel who installed free lithium smoke detectors and provided a fire escape plan. After accounting for a small difference in baseline summary scores of knowledge and behavior between the control and intervention groups, this study found a modest improvement in fire safety behavior among children whose families received a fire prevention intervention reflecting a change in household fire safety practices. However, there was no significant change in fire safety knowledge. |
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| Keywords: | fire intervention fire safety knowledge fire safety behavior elementary school children |
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