Practices for the prevention of accidents in the home in caregivers of children from 1 to 5 years in a district of Cartagena (Colombia)

Prácticas para la prevención de accidentes en el hogar en cuidadores de niños de 1 a 5 años en un barrio de Cartagena (Colombia)

Introduction: accidents in children are an important cause of morbidity and mortality, becoming today a global public health problem, mainly the most affected population are children in preschool, for the vulnerability and dependence of the caregiver. Objectives: to describe the practices for the prevention of accidents at home in caregivers of children from 1 to 5 years of age, in a neighborhood of Cartagena (Colombia). Materials and methods: quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. Consisting of 354 caregivers of children under 5 years of age, the technique of observation and the application of the instrument was used based on practice No. 15 of IMCI (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness). Results: demographic partner caregivers were mainly female (87%), with 20 - 29 years of age (44.9%), mothers of children (61.3%), live together in a free union (54.2%), are high school graduates (50.3%), of stratum one (91.8%), housewives (62.7%), with children (93.8%), reside in houses (54.5%). Children from 1 to 5 years old were male (51.7%), and had accidents (75.1%), especially falls (61.9%). The level of accident risk in the home was low (85%), and prevention practices are usually regular (55.1%). Conclusion: children face relatively low risk of accident in the home, however, practices to prevent them turn out to be regular.