Application of a Risk Management Program Based on the Health Belief Model for Preventing Home Accidents

BACKGROUND: Accidents are the main cause of mortality in children aged less than 5 years throughout the world. The present study was conducted to empower mothers with children aged less than 5 years in preventing home accidents through the implementation of a risk management training program based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental study was conducted on 70 mothers with children aged less than 5 years who referred to Community Health Centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2019. The subjects were selected through multistage random sampling and were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 35) and control (n = 35) groups. The data were collected using a two-part questionnaire for demographic characteristics and HBM constructs before, immediately after, and 45 days after the implementation of the risk management training program at a significance level of <0.05. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between the two groups before the intervention in terms of HBM constructs (p>0.05). However, they significantly differed between the intervention and control groups after the intervention. Moreover, scores of HBM constructs were significantly different immediately and 45 days after the intervention (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study results showed the effectiveness of the HBM-based risk management training program; thus, it is essential to design and implement such programs in community health centers to prevent and reduce injuries caused due to home domestic accidents.