Injury prevention
Introduction
Injury affects Australians of all ages, is the greatest cause of death in the first half of life, and leaves many with serious disability or long-term conditions. For these reasons, injury prevention and control has been declared a National Health Priority Area. [1] Fire & Rescue NSW runs fire safety programs in schools, which aim to teach children fire safety practices and behaviours that could save lives.[2]
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of age where the death remains unexplained despite complete postmortem examination. Risk factors for SIDS include front and side sleeping positions, soft sleep ing surfaces and loose bedding, overheating, passive smoking, and bed sharing. Guidelines issued by the NSW Ministry of Health recommend 3 main ways to reduce the risk: put infant on the back to sleep from birth, make sure infant's head remains uncovered d uring sleep, and keep infant in a smoke-free environment before and after birth.[3]
Results
Graphs for these indicators show participation in a school fire education for children aged 5-12 years by age, sex, socioeconomic disadvantage, geographical location, and year, parental messages received, and parental action taken. Results for these ind icators include:
- Participated in a fire education program at school: 76.5 per cent of children participated in a fire education program at school (77.4 per cent male; 75.7 per cent female; 75.3 per cent metropolitan; 79.1 per cent rural-r egional). There has been no significant change in the proportion of children who participated in a fire education program at school between 2003-2004 and 2009-2010.
- Parental messages from school fire education programs: get down low and go go go (38.9 per cent), home evacuation plan (28.5 per cent), stop drop and roll (32.0 per cent), install smoke alarms (29.4 per cent), and knotted rope (2.4 per cent).
- Took action on messages received: 64.3 per cent of parents or carers took action on messages received (64.2 per cent male; 64.5 per cent female; 60.4 per cent metropolitan; 71.8 per cent rural-regional). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of parents or carers who took action on messages received from child's fire education program between 2003-2004 and 2009-2010 (53.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent).
Graphs for this indicator show infant sleeping position for children aged 0-11 months by sex, socioeconomic disadvantage, geographical location, mothers' characteristics, and year. Results for this indicator include:
- Placed on their backs to sleep from birth: 87.7 per cent of parents or carers put infants on their back to sleep from birth (90.0 per cent male; 85.4 per cent female; 89.6 per cent metropolitan; 82.0 per cent rural-region al). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of parents or carers of infants aged 0-11 months who put infants on their back to sleep between 2001 and 2009-2010 (63.6 per cent to 87.7 per cent).
References
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Health priority areas. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010. Available online at www.aihw.gov.au/health-priority-areas (accessed 23 January 2012).
- Fire & Rescue NSW. NSW Fire Brigades and schools website at www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au (accessed 23 January 2012).
- NSW Department of Health. Guidelines for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and safe sleeping position for infants. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2005. Available online at www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/gl/2005/GL2005_063.html (accessed 23 Janu ary 2012).
Graphs
- Participated in a fire education program at school by region and year
- Participated in a fire education program at school by sex and year
- Message parent or carer received about fire education program
- Took action following fire education program by socioeconomic disadvantage
- Took action following fire education program by region and year
- Took action following fire education program by sex and year
- Placed on their back to sleep from birth by socioeconomic disadvantage
- Placed on their back to sleep from birth by mothers' characteristics
- Placed on their back to sleep from birth by region and year
- Placed on their back to sleep from birth by sex and year
| Source: | New South Wales Child Health Survey 2009-2010 (HOIST). NSW Ministry of Health. |
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| Last updated on: | 1 February 2012 |