Preventing unintentional home injuries among children: exploring the perceptions of Iranian health professionals

BACKGROUND: Health professionals are key stakeholders who potentially have important roles in preventing unintentional child home injuries. This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to the prevention of unintentional child home injuries perceived by health professionals. DESIGN: A generic qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews. SETTING: The capital city of Iran. METHOD: Data for this study were collected through 28 in-depth interviews with health professionals. Purposive sampling was conducted from three areas of Tehran based on their socio-economic development. FINDINGS: Thematic data analysis yielded nine overarching themes: prioritising child home injury, knowledge, the nature of injury and injury prevention, child-related factors, parent-related factors, living environment, cultural issues, resources and management. CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals can potentially be supportive to meet families’ needs. However, further support and resources will be required if they are to fully develop their potential in preventing injuries in the home. The lack of a national action plan was a significant constraint for health professionals.