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Biomedical subjects

Amanda Woods

Publications and source records attributed to Amanda Woods.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Promoting child safety in primary care: a cluster randomised controlled trial to reduce baby walker use.

BACKGROUND: Baby walkers are commonly used items of nursery equipment, but cause more than 3000 injuries each year in the UK. There is currently little evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions in primary care to reduce walker use. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational package provided by midwives and health visitors to reduce baby walker possession and use. DESIGN OF STUDY: Cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Sixty-four general practices in Nottingham and North Nottinghamshire, UK. METHOD: An educational package aimed at discouraging mothers-to-be from obtaining and using a walker was delivered by midwives and health visitors to 1174 mothers-to-be of at least 28 weeks gestation. The control arm received usual care. Primary outcome measures were the possession and use of a walker. Secondary outcome measures included the frequency and duration of walker use, knowledge and attitudes towards walkers, plans to use a walker with future children, recommending a walker to a friend, and use of stair gates and fire guards. RESULTS: Intervention arm participants were significantly less likely to own (odds ratio [OR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43 to 0.93) or to use a walker (OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.84). They were significantly less likely to plan to use a walker with their next child (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.31 to 0.86) or to agree that walkers keep children safe (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.78). There was some evidence that they were less likely to recommend a walker to a friend (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.28 to 0.91) or to agree that they help children to walk more quickly (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.95). CONCLUSION: An educational package delivered by midwives and health visitors was effective in reducing baby walker possession and use. Providers of primary healthcare services should include baby walker education in their injury prevention strategy and child health promotion programme.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed2004

Providing child safety equipment to prevent injuries: randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of safety advice and safety equipment in reducing unintentional injuries for families with children aged under 5 years and living in deprived areas. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: 47 general practices in Nottingham. PARTICIPANTS: 3428 families with children under 5. INTERVENTION: A standardised safety consultation and provision of free and fitted stair gates, fire guards, smoke alarms, cupboard locks, and window locks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were whether a child in the family had at least one injury that required medical attendance and rates of attendance in primary and secondary care and of hospital admission for injury over a two year period. Secondary outcome measures included possession of safety equipment and safety practices. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the proportion of families in which a child had a medically attended injury (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.50) or in the rates of attendance in secondary care (incidence rate ratio 1.02, 0.90 to 1.13) or admission to hospital (1.02, 0.70 to 1.48). However, children in the intervention arm had a significantly higher attendance rate for injuries in primary care (1.37, 1.11 to 1.70, P = 0.003). At both one and two years' follow up, families in the intervention arm were significantly more likely to have a range of safety practices, but absolute differences in the percentages were relatively small. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention resulted in significant improvements in safety practices for up to two years but did not reduce injuries that necessitated medical attendance. Although equipment was provided and fitted free of charge, the observed changes in safety practices may not have been large enough to affect injury rates.

Accident Prevention↗