Acculturation in Hispanics and childhood poisoning: are medicines and household cleaners stored properly?

Consumer knowledge and awareness of the toxicity and handling of household products at a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon

Household products intoxication is a common and preventable problem. Household product hazard awareness is lacking among consumers in Lebanon, posing a public health hazard. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the American University of Beirut Medical Center by administering surveys to 176 adult participants. The surveys focused on demographics, awareness of product toxicity, practices used to avoid intoxication, and sources of information. Each participant was given a score for behavior and awareness. Informative brochures were handed to increase awareness among consumers. We surveyed 176 patients, of whom (84.7%) were females with a mean age of 42.2 ± 13.5 years. Most were married (77.3%), had a college education (76.7%), were employed (62.5%), and were in charge of household cleaning (76.7%). Toilet cleaners were the substances most perceived to be toxic (94.0%). Most people (86.4%) had low to medium scores on behavior, while most (77.3%) had high scores on awareness. Male gender and using product labels as sources of information were associated with higher behavior scores, while referring to a friend or a relative as a source of information on product intoxication was associated with a lower behavior score. Greater awareness scores were strongly associated with being married, having a higher monthly income, and referring to warning signs presented on the labels as a source of knowledge. Unsafe handling and storage of household products are common among consumers in our population. Therefore, it may be necessary to launch education campaigns to improve consumer handling of household products.

A Qualitative Exploration of Less Acculturated Mexican Mothers' Safety Perceptions of Herbs, Medicines, and Cleaners in the Home

Childhood poisoning is a leading public health concern in our society. The death rate from unintentional poisonings among children has increased by 80% from 2000 to 2009. Immigrant children are also at-risk. A qualitative study, consisting of a pile sort, was conducted among immigrant Mexican mothers to determine their safety perceptions of commonly used medicines, herbs, and cleaners. Participants (N = 35) were selected for semi-structured interviews from a pediatric primary care clinic in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Some mothers over-estimated their children's ability to discern the dangers of substances, relied heavily on sensory skills of children, and perceived a medicine as safe after successful use in the past. Other mothers were more cognizant of allergic reactions, ingestion, and the need to store substances carefully. Brief interventions that incorporate culturally-appropriate safety messages are needed to assist Mexican mothers in creating a safe home environment.

Unintentional ingestion of cleaners and other substances in an immigrant Mexican population: a qualitative study

Paediatric poisoning is a salient issue worldwide and also affects the USA. In past years, ingestion of household cleaners was the second leading cause of unintentional poisonings in children. All children are at risk for ingestions, although immigrant children may be at greater risk. The purpose of this study was to document child ingestion experiences from toxic household substances via semistructured interviews with immigrant Mexican mothers. Participants were recruited from a paediatric primary care practice in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (N=35). Eighteen of 35 respondents (51%) reported that their child, nephew/niece or a friend's child had accidentally ingested a cleaning solution, gasoline or herbal remedy. Of those ingestions, 12 were reportedly from an alternative container, such as a juice box or soda bottle. Improper storage was the primary reason for ingestion. Culturally appropriate home visits and interventions are needed to better prevent ingestion in young children.

How parents of teens store and monitor prescription drugs in the home

Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents of teens to explore how parents store and monitor prescription drugs in the home. Most parents had prescription drugs in the house, but took few precautions against teens accessing these drugs. Strategies for monitoring included moving the drugs to different locations, remembering how many pills were left, and how medication containers were positioned. Reasons given for not securing drugs were that parents did not think that their teens would be interested in their prescription drugs and did not believe that they could be used to get high. This study highlights the need for parents to be educated about securing prescription drugs, the dangers of non-medical prescription drug use by teens, and which drugs might be used for non-medical purposes.