Caregivers’ views on paediatric burn injury prevention materials in the United Kingdom

Introduction:

Paediatric burn prevention campaigns are common, yet little research has explored caregivers’ views of these materials. This study aimed to examine caregivers’ perspectives on UK-based paediatric burn prevention materials used in 2023.

Methods:

Fourteen caregivers (8 female, 6 male) of children aged five or under participated in online focus groups. Participants were recruited through multiple community-based and online channels using non-probability sampling. Participants were shown six different UK burn prevention materials (two video-clips and four posters) and asked semi-structured questions about their views. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results:

Three themes were identified: 1) Campaigns shouldn’t be sugar coated; 2) Evoking differences in risk perception (caregivers’ varied perceptions around the likelihood and consequences of burn-related hazards influenced their engagement in safety behaviours); and 3) People don’t like being told what to do. Caregivers felt campaigns often "sugar coated" burns, reducing their emotional impact. Video content was seen as more engaging than written information, with personally meaningful, lived-experience-based content viewed as most effective. Risk perception varied: some caregivers felt their children were at high risk and found the materials reinforced their current behaviours, while others with lower perceived risk reported limited engagement or intention to change. Some found written guidance overly basic or overly directive.

Conclusion:

Prevention materials may have limited impact on caregivers who engage in fewer prevention behaviours—those arguably most in need of change. Codeveloping materials with at-risk caregivers and incorporating real-life burn experiences may increase emotional engagement and effectiveness. Further research is needed to explore how prevention materials can drive meaningful behaviour change across different caregiver groups.