Household chemicals and pre-schoolers: Caretakers' beliefs and perspectives on risks and responsibilities

Chemical products are present in most households and can endanger the health of humans, particularly toddlers and pre-school children. With a focus on accident prevention, this article investigates parents and other care-takers' beliefs and perspectives on risks and responsibilities. A mixed method approach was applied, combining in-depth qualitative interviews (pre-study, N = 10) and a quantitative survey (main study, N = 688) with Swiss caretakers of pre-school children. The questionnaire of the main study was developed based on the findings from the pre-study, and measured beliefs, perceptions of product, environmental risks, and responsibilities. The main findings suggest some prevalent misconceptions among parents regarding the risks of products perceived to be natural and the safety of child-protective caps. Furthermore, relationships were uncovered between psycho-logical factors, such as perceived responsibility, trust and risk perception, and caretakers' beliefs about house -hold chemicals and their role in accident prevention. These beliefs highlight the need for preventive efforts focused on caretakers exhibiting pragmatic/trusting beliefs, compared to caretakers exhibiting protective or educational beliefs.

Automated summary

This study investigates the beliefs and perspectives of parents and caretakers on risks and responsibilities. The findings suggest that some parents have misconceptions about the risks of natural products and the safety of child-protective caps. The study also uncovered relationships between psychological factors and caretakers' beliefs about household chemicals.