DETERMINING FACTORS AFFECTING SCHOOLCHILDREN'S ATTITUDES TOWARDS INJURY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Purpose: Accidents and injuries in childhood are a common public health problem worldwide. The preventable and unintentional injury rates are high, especially in children who spend most of their time at school. The purpose of this study is to determine schoolchildren's attitudes towards injury and factors affecting these attitudes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled students from Turkish elementary schools. Data were collected using the sociodemographic characteristics data form and the Injury Attitudes Questionnaire for School Children (IAQ). Results: The mean fate subscale scores of the children whose mothers were primary school graduates were significantly higher than those whose mothers were university graduates, and the mean preventability subscale scores of the children whose fathers were university or high school graduates were significantly higher than those whose fathers were primary school graduates (p < 0.05). The mean fate subscale scores of the children who were injured three or more times and injured once or twice in the last month were significantly higher than those not injured at all (p < 0.05). The preventability subscale scores of children who had a nuclear family type were significantly higher than those who had an extended family (p < 0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that the rates of children's injuries at school were high. Children's attitudes towards injury were associated with the level of parents' education, family type, and frequency of injuries. Parents and school management should be better informed by school health nurses to prevent injuries of children.