The document describes a text messaging program called Text4Tots that provides safety tips to parents of toddlers aged 2-5. It sends texts twice daily on topics like home, car, and playground safety. Parents can engage through keywords, quizzes, and incentives. Evaluation found parents liked the tips and engagement tools and reported increased safety knowledge and confidence in childproofing areas. Suggestions are made to further tailor messages.

1. Teaching busy parents about ways to
keep their child safe from harm in the
home, in the car, and at play
Alexis Johnston
Katie Riuli
October 28, 2011

2.  Target audience:
Parents of toddlers, age 2 to 5
 Concept:
Provide our target audience with
information, tips, and resources to keep their
toddler safe by reducing the likelihood of
unintentional injuries at home, in the car, and at
play.
 Why Toddler Safety?
Unintentional injury is the leading cause of
death among children age 1 to 14

3.  Based on constructs of the Health Belief Model:
 Increase parents perceived susceptibility and severity
unintentional injuries among toddlers especially for
injuries sustained in cars, at playgrounds, and at home
(e.g. burns, poisoning)
 Increase parents’ self efficacy to implement safety
precautions such as implementing emergency
plans, using car seats, installing pool fences, using
cabinet locks, and inspecting playground equipment by
15% over one year
 Increase perceived benefits of implementing toddler
safety measures by 15% over one years, by showing how
small steps can significantly reduce the risk of injury.
 Increase knowledge of toddler safety precautions such
as car seats, installing pool fences, child-proofing your
home (e.g. cabinet locks, fixing loose wires) and
inspecting playground equipment.

4.  Focused on three main topics:
home, car, and “at play” safety
 Sent text message two times per day:
morning and evening
 Used an incentive program where parents
could earn points for a gift card to encourage
them to engage in program and take action
 Also used keywords to spur engagement

5.  Keywords
Parents could text words like “Playground,” “Car
Seat,” and “CPR” to receive more information
on a topic.
 Picture Messages
Parents could send picture messages of their car
seat or their children’s bike helmet to earn
points
 Quizzes
Parents could text “QUIZ” to test their
knowledge on certain safety topics
 Websites
Text “Website” if they visited a recommended site
for more info.

6.  Text4Tots: Children are likely to be injured at
a playground. Make sure that playground
equipment is age-appropriate and safe! Text
"PLAYGROUND" for more safety tips.
 Text4Tots: A quick call to the Poison Control
Center could save your child's life. Save 1-800-
222-1222 as “Poison Control Center” on your
phone then text CONTROL to earn 3 points!
 Text4Tots:Show us your seat! Send a picture
message of your child's car seat to earn 3
points toward a Baby's R Us Gift Card!

7.  Text4Tots: Did you know that your tot's skin burns more
easily than adults? Here’s a tip: Set your water thermostat
at 120 Fahrenheit to avoid burns in the bath or shower.
 Text4Tots: October is Fire Prevention Month! Create a
family emergency plan. For a step-by-step guide, visit
http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/SafetyGuide/sg_fire_
w004.asp
 Text4Tots: Your tot looks safe AND stylish! Congrats on
being 3 points closer to a gift certificate!

8.  Audience:
 Six mothers with children between the ages of
two and five
 One parent between the ages 18-24
 Five parents between the ages of 25-34
 Located in Maryland, Virginia, NY
 All white, non-Hispanic
 50% live in single family homes
 50% live in townhomes
 50% had access to community pools
 None of of children had ever been to the
emergency room due to an injury

9.  Pre- and post-survey instruments
 Pre-survey
 Gather basic demographic information (age, gender)
 Gauge their knowledge of injury prevention.
 Measure perceived severity and susceptibility; barriers
to implementing proper safety measures; and benefits of
taking the necessary precautions to prevent childhood
injuries.
 Post-survey
 Evaluate the Text4Tots program (did they like it, read
the text messages, find the information
helpful, recommend to a friend?)
 Interactions
 How many and how often participants interacted with
the program (e.g., texted “Playground” or “Quiz” or
sent picture messages.)

10.  All of the participants:
 Read all of the texts
 Liked Text4Tots
 Would recommend to a friend
 Liked the incentive program
 Though the texts were helpful for “child-proofing”
their home, car and play areas
 5 out of 6 participants said their knowledge
about child safety measures increased
 50% said they learned about new potential
dangers
 All participants said they were “confident” or
“very confident” in their ability for “child-
proofing” their home, car and play areas

11.  “Great tips and reminders, really liked the
website links.”
 “I wasn't always somewhere that I could
participate. Liked taking a pic of the car
seat.”
 “Good advice but since my daughter is on the
older end, we already had done most of the
precautions.”
 “A few suggestions I would not have thought
of – great!”

12.  Tailoring the messages by audience
 Only sending pool safety messages to those with a
pool
 Tailoring messages by kids’ ages
 Bike safety only applies to children who are old
enough to ride a bicycle or tricycle
 Tailoring messages by kids’ activities
 “at play” meant anywhere from being on the
playground to participating in sports like soccer or
gymnastics
 Providing this service to families that bring their
child to the emergency room or doctor’s office
for an unintentional injury
 Research indicates that safety interventions are
successful in this setting

13.  Create a website, like a Facebook page or a
Tumblr for the parents to upload their kids’
pictures to share with other involved parents
 Remind parents that they don’t need to
respond right away to the incentives. They
can receive the points if they respond at any
point in the program.
 Create culturally-specific messages