Children at Risk: a Cross-Sectional Study of Mothers Awareness and Practices Regarding Chemical Product Labels at Home

Abstract

Background Children's exposure to chemical products at home poses significant health risks, making mothers' awareness and label-reading practices crucial for ensuring household safety. Objective This study aimed to determine the frequency of mothers reading labels on chemical products and their knowledge of label symbols. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study included 352 mothers whose children were between the ages of 6-18 years. Data were collected through an online survey using the Sociodemographic and Descriptive Characteristics Data Form and the Chemical Label Symbols Information Questionnaire. Results It was found that 65.6% of the mothers were interested in chemical product labels, 38.9% always read the information on the label, and 70.5% believed that the information on the label was useful. The label symbol that mothers knew the most was the symbol for airing the room after use (94.9%) and the least was the symbol for acute poisoning (50.6%). It was found that the frequency of label reading increased as the number of family members and the number of children decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusion It was determined that although mothers were highly aware of the symbols on chemical product labels, the frequency of label reading was insufficient. Children's health is at risk due to the excessive use of chemical products at home.