Date of Defense

12-4-2025

Date of Graduation

12-2025

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Amy Damashek

Second Advisor

Allison Sederlund

Third Advisor

Jordan Schroeder

Abstract

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among young children in the United States, with low-income families being at higher risk. This study examined seven weeks of prospective injury data from 89 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in a Head Start program participating in a randomized controlled trial of a modified home safety intervention. Caregivers completed weekly interviews reporting the injury type, location, severity, pain, and caregiver in charge. Slips, trips, and falls were the most common injuries that occurred, with most occurring in the primary caregiver’s home. Mothers were the supervising adults in over half of the incidents. Although most injuries were minor, injuries in public indoor settings were more severe on average. While severity did not differ significantly across caregiver type, descriptive trends suggested reduced severity when multiple caregivers were present. By offering detailed descriptive data on injury characteristics in low-income households, this study contributes to a largely underrepresented area of research. This highlights the importance of practical intervention strategies to reduce unintentional childhood injuries in home settings.

Comments

Additional Advisor: Farzana Zafreen

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
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