Barriers and Enablers to the Use ofMeasures to Prevent Pediatric Scaldingin Cape Town, South Africa

摘要

Little attention has been paid to the prevention of pediatric scalding injuries inlow-income settings, especially from the standpoint of local stakeholders. This study investigates stakeholderunderstandings of potential measures to prevent childhood scalding and the related hinders andenablers to such measures. Design and Sample: The study utilized an exploratory qualitative design. Contentanalysis was applied to the transcriptions of interviews with 13 caregivers and 8 burn preventionresearch, policy, and practitioner professionals. Measures: The study used semistructured interviews usingillustrations to generate data. The 21 individual interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim,and analyzed using content analytic steps. Interviews focused on 2 illustrations that depict circumstancesthat surround the occurrence of pediatric scalding typical for Cape Town. Results: 3 categories of preventionmeasures were identified: enhancements to the safety of the home environment, changes to practice,and improvements to individual competence. The barriers identified were spatial constraints in homes,hazardous home facilities, and multiple family demands. Conclusions: Caregivers and professionals reporta similar range of measures to prevent pediatric scalding. Many of these might not be readily implementablein low-income settings with key barriers that would need to be addressed by policymakers and preventionpractitioners.