Is It Safe to Stay at Home? Parents' Perceptions of Child Home Injuries during the COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home regulations have increased child home injuries. This study illustrates the type and frequency of child home injuries in Greece during the COVID-19 lockdown. Moreover, the survey reports the results on parents' proposals regarding child injuries at home during the COVID-19 quarantine. A community-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from November to December 2021 in Greece. Parents were asked to voluntarily complete an anonymous questionnaire, designed for the needs of the research. A statistical analysis of the data was performed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests for a normal distribution, a chi-squared (chi(2)) test to compare percentages among different groups and a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test to determine the differences in Likert scale variables between two groups. A total of 130 parents with at least one child were questioned through an online questionnaire survey. Of the parents, 39.3%, stated that the number of accidents in their home increased. The most frequent accidents were injuries (49.3%). Most of the accidents occurred inside the house (75.8%) and were observed among children aged 0-4 years. A high percentage of children's accidents was observed in rural/island areas or in the suburbs. Children who were with either their father or mother had one accident, and a higher number of accidents occurred when the children were with their grandparents, with the nanny or alone. For those parents who had difficulty supervising their child, child accidents increased compared to parents who had the ability to supervise. It was noticed that parents who knew how to provide a safe home stated that the number of accidents remained the same. Parents must organize a safer home. Authorities should educate parents on child injury prevention and provide them with financial facilities to provide a safer house.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home regulations have led to an increase in child injuries at home in Greece. This study examines the types and frequency of these injuries during the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as parents' suggestions for preventing such injuries. The survey was conducted from November to December 2021 and involved parents completing an anonymous questionnaire. The findings reveal that 39.3% of parents reported an increase in accidents at home, with injuries being the most common type. Most accidents occurred indoors and affected children aged 0-4 years. Rural/island areas or suburbs had a higher proportion of child accidents. Accidents were more likely to happen when children were with their grandparents, nanny, or alone, compared to being with their parents. Parents who had difficulty supervising their children experienced more accidents, while those who knew how to provide a safe home did not report an increase in accidents.