WILL MOTHERS USE FREE HOUSEHOLD SAFETY DEVICES

This study was intended to determine if mothers of small children would use free safety devices to help safety-proof their homes. The study population consisted of an experimental group of 101 families receiving general health education on home safety proofing and a control group of 104 families. Each of the 205 families received two types of safety devices: Kindergards (which are plastic locking devices for cabinets and so forth) and covers for electric outlets. The families were given identical instructions on their use. There was significant increase in the use of the outlet covers in both subgroups, with the experimental group using them more (P <.05) than the control group. There was no significantly increased use of the Kindergards. © 1979, American Medical Association. All rights reserved.