Toddler safety in the home environment

This chapter examines the risk factors for unintentional injury of Israeli toddlers in the home. It focuses on the Jewish Ultra Orthodox (-Haredim), a culturally distinct social entity, hypothesized to have higher levels of risk than other sectors of the population. A sample of two hundred and twenty two mothers, 94 Haredim, 69 belonging to the religious and traditional and an additional 59 to the secular sectors, consented to fill in a structured questionnaire containing the study variables. Haredi mothers were found to be significantly less knowledgeable regarding safety issues and less aware of the hazards in their home environment than their counterparts. They were also 3.19 times more likely than mothers of other sectors to perceive no danger from falling out of an unguarded window and 5.19 times more likely to not place hot food beyond toddlers' reach. Additional socio-demographic variables, as well as attitude and mothers' locus of control predicted behavior and home hazards. Risk factors emerging from the study echoed previous research. Strategies for reducing risk factors in the Haredi sector of Israeli society are discussed.