Preventing childhood unintentional home injuries in uganda: a community-based participatory approach

Unintentional injuries among children under five in Uganda, are a significant public health concern. There is a critical gap in our understanding of the full extent of home hazards and associated injuries in LMICs, as well as the perspectives and experiences of the community members themselves. This PhD thesis addresses this using a mixed-methods approach and a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, incorporating extensive local engagement. Initial formative research highlighted diverse injury risks, leading to the evolution from a "Babybox" concept to tailored safety interventions developed through collaboration with local engineers and artisans. The Human-Centred Design (HCD) methodology facilitated the co-development of five innovative safety devices: the multipurpose mat, fixed cooking station, cooking cage, outdoor cooking ring, and sharps storage box which were iteratively refined through community feedback, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance. The project also included a novel course for early-career researchers on integrating CBPR and HCD in injury prevention, significantly improving participants' knowledge and engagement. This thesis uniquely integrates quantitative data from hospital records and community surveys with qualitative insights from focus groups and participatory Photovoice research, providing a comprehensive understanding of the injury landscape. The mixed-methods approach allowed for a robust analysis, combining statistical trends with personal narratives to identify effective prevention strategies. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy development, community education, and enhanced healthcare services, advocating for sustainable, community-driven solutions to improve child safety in low-resource settings. This work provides a robust framework for addressing child injuries globally, emphasising the power of local engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. Future directions include testing, validating and optimising the interventions within a comprehensive injury prevention package, scaling them up, integrating them into national health policies, and exploring their applicability in similar low-resource settings to maximise global impact on child safety.