Caregiver’s Perspective on Preventing Unintentional Childhood Injuries in South Karnataka, India – A Qualitative Study

Background: Childhood unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death and disability among young children. Interventions to prevent unintentional injuries are multidimensional, and identifying key areas would facilitate a better understanding and implementation of preventive measures. The present research was conducted to explore and understand caregivers' perspectives on unintentional injuries, which might further contribute to developing injury prevention strategies. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative approach. In-depth, open-ended, semi-structured, and individual interviews were conducted with caregivers of children between two and five-year-old age groups. Results: The codes generated from the study are grouped under three major themes: ‘Child behaviour and development’, ‘Caregivers' knowledge and practices’, and ‘Safe environment’. The reasons for unintentional injuries and strategies to prevent them were reflected in the findings. Caregivers demonstrated awareness in a few of the areas by identifying the risk of injuries. Environmental determinants such as a lack of space or in-adequate storage facilities were reported as barriers to injury prevention. Conclusion: Understanding caregivers’ perspectives on injury prevention will enable them to change the be-havior among caregivers. However, the barriers and facilitators to prevent injuries can be addressed during the development and implementation of the intervention package.