CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Accidents are defined as occurrences that occur without prior notice or warning and as a result of which there may be injuries, disability, or even death. Accidents are events that can cause significant economic losses for the country. Natural and anthropogenic causes of accidents include earthquakes, floods, lightning, hurricanes, and landslides, to name a few. Artificial accidents are the result of man's negligence, ignorance, or lack of experience.

Early childhood home accidents are the leading cause of death and illness, and they play a significant role in the loss of productive lives.Domestic mishaps have been dubbed the "Modern Day Epidemic" by public health specialists. Domestic accidents are considered a priority problem by the WHO. When a baby is born, it is fragile, defenseless, and innocent. It is fully reliant on those who look after it. Children are particularly vulnerable to harm due to their natural curiosity, impulsiveness, and desire to learn new abilities. Also, from a young age, youngsters want to copy adult behavior. The pattern of trauma in children from developing countries is crucial to understand because there are major disparities in socioeconomic patterns and government regulatory policies between developing and developed countries. The living room is where the majority of accidents occur, but the kitchen is where the most serious incidents occur. Falls, fires and burns, asphyxia, drowning, choking, poisoning, and cuts and lacerations are the most common causes of accidents in the home. 9 In the past, epidemiologists linked household accidents to tuberculosis and grouped the two together as "social diseases." The term is also quite pertinent in today's world, since both entities have succeeded in permeating the social fabric in very distinct ways and systems. Many household injury risks can be avoided by making little changes to the surroundings that are both affordable and feasible for the family. However, there is a scarcity of studies on complete injury hazard identification at the household level for children in low-income rural settings. There is currently a scarcity of data on the subject, and this study hopes to pique interest in attempts to reduce the number of childhood accidents. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of unintentional injuries in children under the age of five and to define the injury profile.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Children's capacity to react swiftly and appropriately in an emergency scenario is severely limited, and they have little control over their surroundings, increasing the danger of accidents and death. Accidents have such a significant impact on children's health that they must not be neglected. Accidents have physical, psychological, and social consequences for children, disrupting their health and potentially leading to illnesses, disabilities, and death. As a result, childhood accidents are an issue that must be handled with caution. Due to factors such as a lack of understanding of dangers, susceptibility and vulnerability to environmental risks, and curiosity about exploring and learning, children are at a high risk of home accidents. Children's home accidents are an important public health concern in both developed and developing countries, and the importance of home accidents is growing. As a result, accidents involving children must be carefully considered and addressed.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study are to:

I.       To identify the common causes of home accidents among children less than five years old.

II.    To assess if the rate of accidents among children less than five years old in Edo state is higher than normal.

III. To find out possible ways to reduce home accidents among children less than five years old.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

I.       What are the common causes of home accidents among children less than five years old?

II.    Is the rate of accidents among children less than five years old in Edo state higher than normal?

III. What are the possible ways to reduce home accidents among children less than five years old?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study's goal is to identify the most common cause of home accidents among children under the age of five, as well as to draw family members' and communities' attention to the importance of reducing home accidents.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on the commonest type of home accident among children between 0-5 and the prevention of actions taken by parents and guardians. This study was carried out using Ovia North East local government as the case study.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

The study was limited to the Ovia North East local government in Edo State, Nigeria. This is because the entire Edo State could not be covered, given the short duration of the study and the budget limitations.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Prevalence: the fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness.

Home accidents: Home accidents are"any event that occurs inside the home or in the immediate vicinity of the home that results in injury, which was not done intentionally but happened by accident."

Children: a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority.

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