The repercussion from unintentional injuries in children on the family context - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.1087

Abstract

The objective of this work is to study the characteristics of the child when victim of unintentional injury, as well as those of his family caregiver. This was accomplished by describing the repercussion of those injuries in the family and identifying the family caregivers’ conception of risk factors in the home, as well as their knowledge of preventive practices. A descriptive study was conducted with 29 relatives or caregivers of injured children at an emergency hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, in 2005. Most of the children were between 5 and 10 years old and were male; the most prevalent instances of injury were traffic-related. Regarding the caregivers, the most prevalent income range for this group was up to minimum wage. They reported knowing the most frequent types of injuries to children, as well as the ways to avoid them. The repercussions within the family context reach emotional, economical, social and cultural dimensions, with expressions of fear, guilt, regret, protest and resignation. It is concluded that this subject needs to be widely discussed, mobilizing opinion-makers to the reorientation of the praxis in health and education