Reducing Safety Hazards in the Home through the Use of an Evidence-Based Parenting Program

Unintentional child injury is a significant public health concern and leading cause of death among children. Though the majority of unintentional injuries are preventable, few interventions target child injury hazards. Since many unintentional injuries occur in the home, home visiting may be an effective method for modifying unsafe home environments. In this paper, we examined whether a behavioral parenting program conducted in the home would reduce home safety hazards among families who were in the child welfare system or at risk for child maltreatment. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the change in number of safety hazards, as measured by the Home Accident Prevention Inventory-Revised, across four types of rooms. Significant reductions in home hazards were demonstrated across room type after program participation. Results suggest that families at risk for child maltreatment can have significant reductions in home safety hazards following program participation.