Child behaviour and family stress: the possible risk factors in accidental poisoning

ABSTRACT

The present study has aimed to examine the association between the occurrence of accidental poisoning incidents and any family stress including the child's behaviour as expected risk factors. To attempt to accomplish any possible risks, 375 incidents of accidental poisoning in children of less than five years of age were compared with 375 controls, who were selected according to the method of paired sampling with individual matching. Both cases and controls were drawn from the two pediatric hospitals in Mosul city during the period of lst. October 1991 - 31st. March 1992. This study demonstrates that males were more predominant than females in both cases and controls. The estimation of the probability value and odds ratio suggested that a presence of behaviour disorders in the affected child may possibly be regarded as a risk factor in the occurrence of accidental poisoning. Also families suffering from stress factors were significantly higher among accidental poisoning cases than among controls. The results obtained are highly valuable in monitoring a program aiming at creating a prevention strategy