The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study
BackgroundUnintentional injuries are a leading public health concern for children, particularly in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries. Guardians are important in injury prevention, yet few studies have systematically examined guardian-related factors in rural areas of China. This study...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1550541/full |
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| author | Liheng Huang Liheng Huang Dehong Luo Dehong Luo |
| author_facet | Liheng Huang Liheng Huang Dehong Luo Dehong Luo |
| author_sort | Liheng Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundUnintentional injuries are a leading public health concern for children, particularly in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries. Guardians are important in injury prevention, yet few studies have systematically examined guardian-related factors in rural areas of China. This study investigates the association between guardian-related factors and unintentional injuries among children in Hunan Province and proposes a three-stage prevention strategy.Materials and methodsA mixed-methods approach was used. Study I adopted a quantitative design, collecting data through electronic questionnaires from 432 guardians of primary school children across five cities in Hunan Province. Logistic regression and chi-square analyses were performed using statistical software (SPSS) to assess associations between guardian-related factors and unintentional injuries among children. Study II used a qualitative approach, interviewing 30 guardians from 15 counties using a semi-structured guide. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software, followed by Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis. Findings were synthesized using the Haddon Matrix to develop three-stage preventive measures.FindingsStudy I revealed that guardians who implemented injury prevention measures were less likely to report child injuries (OR = 0.463, p < 0.05). However, most guardians lacked consistent preventive actions. Study II identified four key factors contributing to unintentional injuries among children in rural areas: hazardous environmental, inadequate safety education for guardians, children’s behaviors, and lack of regulatory and systemic safety infrastructure in rural areas.ConclusionGuardian-related factors significantly influence the prevention of unintentional injuries among rural children. By integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence within the Haddon Matrix model, this study proposes three-stage (pre-, during- and post-injury) preventive measures to reduce risks and enable a theory-driven injury prevention strategy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a29bfd3ff634cb38c3de4fa82eb3f76 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a29bfd3ff634cb38c3de4fa82eb3f762025-08-20T03:28:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-07-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15505411550541The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods studyLiheng Huang0Liheng Huang1Dehong Luo2Dehong Luo3College of Education Sciences, Huaihua University, Huaihua, ChinaWulingshan K-12 Educational Research Center at Huaihua University, Huaihua, ChinaCollege of Education Sciences, Huaihua University, Huaihua, ChinaWulingshan K-12 Educational Research Center at Huaihua University, Huaihua, ChinaBackgroundUnintentional injuries are a leading public health concern for children, particularly in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries. Guardians are important in injury prevention, yet few studies have systematically examined guardian-related factors in rural areas of China. This study investigates the association between guardian-related factors and unintentional injuries among children in Hunan Province and proposes a three-stage prevention strategy.Materials and methodsA mixed-methods approach was used. Study I adopted a quantitative design, collecting data through electronic questionnaires from 432 guardians of primary school children across five cities in Hunan Province. Logistic regression and chi-square analyses were performed using statistical software (SPSS) to assess associations between guardian-related factors and unintentional injuries among children. Study II used a qualitative approach, interviewing 30 guardians from 15 counties using a semi-structured guide. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software, followed by Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis. Findings were synthesized using the Haddon Matrix to develop three-stage preventive measures.FindingsStudy I revealed that guardians who implemented injury prevention measures were less likely to report child injuries (OR = 0.463, p < 0.05). However, most guardians lacked consistent preventive actions. Study II identified four key factors contributing to unintentional injuries among children in rural areas: hazardous environmental, inadequate safety education for guardians, children’s behaviors, and lack of regulatory and systemic safety infrastructure in rural areas.ConclusionGuardian-related factors significantly influence the prevention of unintentional injuries among rural children. By integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence within the Haddon Matrix model, this study proposes three-stage (pre-, during- and post-injury) preventive measures to reduce risks and enable a theory-driven injury prevention strategy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1550541/fullrural childrenunintentional injuryguardiancountermeasureinjury prevention |
| spellingShingle | Liheng Huang Liheng Huang Dehong Luo Dehong Luo The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study Frontiers in Public Health rural children unintentional injury guardian countermeasure injury prevention |
| title | The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full | The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study |
| title_fullStr | The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study |
| title_short | The role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children: a mixed-methods study |
| title_sort | role of guardians in preventing unintentional injuries among rural children a mixed methods study |
| topic | rural children unintentional injury guardian countermeasure injury prevention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1550541/full |
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