Schwebel David C, Swart Dehran, Hui Siu-kuen Azor, Simpson Jennifer, Hobe Phumla
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America.
Bull World Health Organ. 2009 Sep;87(9):700-6. doi: 10.2471/blt.08.057505.
To explore what individuals at risk of injury from using paraffin (also known as kerosene) know about paraffin safety, what they do to protect themselves and their families from paraffin-related injury, and how they perceive their risk for such injury. Also, to explore interrelations between these factors and age, sex, education and income.
A sample of 238 individuals was randomly recruited from low-income housing districts near Cape Town, South Africa in 2007. Trained research assistants interviewed participants to explore their knowledge about paraffin-related safety and their perceived risk of injury from using paraffin. Researchers inspected participants' homes to evaluate paraffin safety practices. Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted.
Participants had relatively low levels of knowledge about paraffin-related safety. They had high levels of unsafe practice and their perceived risk of injury was moderate. Knowledge of paraffin safety and safe practices were positively correlated with each other. Greater knowledge showed a negative correlation with the perception of being at risk for injury, but safe practices showed no correlation with perceived risk of injury. Formal education, the number of children in the home and frequency of paraffin use were positively correlated with knowledge but not with safe practices. The only significant correlate to safe practices was greater income, perhaps a reflection of the impact of financial resources on paraffin safety practices.
To develop successful paraffin safety interventions, it is necessary to understand baseline levels of knowledge, practice and perceived risk of injury among at-risk populations. Our findings could be of value for designing interventions that will increase knowledge, improve safe practices and lead to the accurate perception of the risk of injury from using paraffin.
探讨有因使用石蜡（又称煤油）而受伤风险的个体对石蜡安全的了解程度、他们为保护自己和家人免受与石蜡相关伤害所采取的措施，以及他们如何看待自身面临此类伤害的风险。此外，还探讨这些因素与年龄、性别、教育程度和收入之间的相互关系。
2007年从南非开普敦附近的低收入住宅区随机招募了238名个体。训练有素的研究助理对参与者进行访谈，以了解他们对石蜡相关安全的知识以及他们认为使用石蜡受伤的风险。研究人员检查参与者的住所，以评估石蜡安全措施。进行了描述性和相关性分析。
参与者对石蜡相关安全的了解程度相对较低。他们的不安全行为水平较高，且他们认为的受伤风险为中等程度。对石蜡安全的了解与安全行为呈正相关。更多的了解与对受伤风险的认知呈负相关，但安全行为与感知到的受伤风险无关。正规教育、家中孩子数量和石蜡使用频率与知识呈正相关，但与安全行为无关。与安全行为唯一显著相关的是更高的收入，这可能反映了财务资源对石蜡安全行为的影响。
要制定成功的石蜡安全干预措施，有必要了解高危人群在知识、行为和感知到的受伤风险方面的基线水平。我们的研究结果对于设计能够增加知识、改善安全行为并导致对使用石蜡受伤风险的准确认知的干预措施可能具有价值。
