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Caregivers' Knowledge and Perceptions of Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning
Author(s) -
Mahon Irene
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1997.tb00289.x
Subject(s) - outreach , lead poisoning , medicine , public health , family medicine , occupational safety and health , environmental health , suicide prevention , injury prevention , poison control , nursing , psychiatry , pathology , political science , law
Philadelphia is considered a high‐risk area for lead poisoning. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health conducts education and outreach to screen children and promote prevention. Prior to this study there were no systematic data on the community's knowledge and perceptions of lead poisoning prevention. A 32‐item questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge and perceptions of family caregivers of children younger than age 8. The survey was interviewer administered in pediatric clinics in two geographic areas of the city with documented severe and moderate lead poisoning rates. Eighty family caregivers were interviewed while waiting to see the pediatrician. Caregivers in the sample were connected to a health care system and resided in areas where lead community outreach was concentrated. Nevertheless, results suggest that even caregivers of children in high‐risk areas do not mention lead poisoning as a health concern. About 61% of the sample identified eating paint chips as a cause of lead poisoning, whereas only 15% identified lead paint dust as a source of lead poisoning. Approximately 49% of the caregivers reported that they “never” or only “sometimes” perform recommended prevention activities. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health used these findings to review and modify education and outreach to prevent lead poisoning.