burn injuries. While the epidemiological characteristics
of burns may vary in different
populations,3 5 6 7 universal intervention
strategies can be applied.
Interventions against injuries may be classified
as active or passive. Active interventions
are those that require the consistent active participation
of the individual or caregiver. Passive
interventions, not requiring this participation,
are considered to be more effective than active
interventions.8 An example of a passive intervention
is the lowering of water heater
temperature settings to prevent tap water
scalds. While some authors have reported
increased attention, knowledge, and self reported
change in safety practice as a result of
active interventions,9 10 few intervention studies
have reported any effect on the incidence of
burns.5 11 For example, one study showed that
public health nurses increased compliance with
recommended safety messages but lacked outcome
data on burns in the home.12 The
strength of the present study is that outcome