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Effect of Child Burn Prevention Education on Burn Prevention Practices among Household Caregivers in Nigeria

Abstract

Childhood burns are an important public health and injury-prevention concern in Nigeria because young children may be exposed to hot liquids, cooking fires, hot surfaces, electrical appliances, open flames, kerosene, and other household hazards. Young children are particularly vulnerable because of their developing motor skills, curiosity, limited understanding of danger, and dependence on adults for protection. Household caregivers play an important role in preventing childhood burns through appropriate supervision, safe cooking practices, proper storage of hot substances, safe positioning of cooking equipment, and control of household fire and electrical hazards. However, limited awareness of burn hazards, inadequate supervision, unsafe cooking environments, and poor knowledge of appropriate preventive measures may increase children's risk of burn injuries. Child burn prevention education provides an opportunity to improve caregivers' knowledge and promote safer household practices. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of child burn prevention education on burn prevention practices among household caregivers in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how caregivers' perceptions of children's susceptibility to burn injuries, perceived severity of burns, perceived benefits of preventive practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence burn prevention behaviours. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and household environmental influences in developing and maintaining safe child-care practices. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the influence of caregivers, children, households, communities, socioeconomic conditions, housing environments, and broader safety policies on childhood burn prevention. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how child burn prevention education may influence burn prevention practices among household caregivers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise household caregivers responsible for children aged 0–5 years residing in selected urban, semi-urban, and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, and eligible caregivers. Child burn prevention education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to burn prevention education sessions, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of common household burn hazards, awareness of hot-liquid and cooking-related burns, knowledge of safe handling of hot foods and liquids, awareness of open-flame and kerosene hazards, knowledge of electrical burn prevention, awareness of safe placement of cooking equipment, knowledge of appropriate child supervision, awareness of safe storage of flammable substances, and knowledge of appropriate first-response measures and the importance of seeking medical care for burns. Burn prevention practices will be assessed using indicators such as keeping children away from cooking areas, turning pot handles away from children's reach, safely storing hot liquids and food, keeping electrical appliances and cords away from children, securing matches and lighters, safely storing kerosene and other flammable substances, supervising children around heat sources, maintaining safe cooking environments, preventing children from accessing open flames, and maintaining appropriate household fire-safety practices. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, burn prevention knowledge assessment tools, household safety observation checklists, caregiver practice assessment instruments, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize caregivers' demographic characteristics, household conditions, sources of burn hazards, previous exposure to burn prevention education, and burn prevention practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of child burn prevention education on burn prevention practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, burn prevention practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that child burn prevention education has a significant positive effect on burn prevention practices among household caregivers in Nigeria. Caregivers exposed to structured and practical burn prevention education are expected to demonstrate safer household practices than caregivers without comparable exposure. Education may improve caregivers' ability to identify common burn hazards, supervise children appropriately, maintain safe cooking environments, safely handle hot liquids, secure flammable materials, and reduce children's access to heat and electrical sources. Practical demonstrations, household safety assessments, visual materials, and caregiver participation may further strengthen confidence and ability to apply preventive measures. However, overcrowded housing, unsafe cooking arrangements, poverty, inadequate access to safer cooking equipment, dependence on open flames or kerosene, limited household space, and cultural practices may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, culturally appropriate, and continuous child burn prevention education, supported by safer household environments and improved access to appropriate safety resources, to contribute significantly to improved burn prevention practices among household caregivers in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on childhood burn prevention, household injury prevention, caregiver health education, child health, home safety, fire safety, injury epidemiology, health promotion, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, state ministries of health, primary healthcare centres, hospitals, fire and rescue services, environmental health officers, community health workers, paediatric healthcare providers, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for preventing childhood burn injuries. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening caregiver burn prevention education, integrating child injury prevention into community health programmes, improving household fire-safety awareness, promoting safer cooking practices, improving access to appropriate household safety equipment, strengthening community-based injury prevention initiatives, and developing sustainable childhood burn prevention programmes across Nigeria.

Keywords: Child burn prevention education, burn prevention practices, household caregivers, childhood burns, child injury prevention, household safety, fire safety, caregiver health education, injury prevention, Nigeria, public health.