Safety and Precautions
Safety and prevention routines are primarily concerned with (a) health protection; (b) disease prevention; (c) avoidance and participation in high-risk behaviors such as smoking, abuse and violence, alcohol and misuse of other substances; and (d) efforts to prevent unintended injury across the life course. All families practice some routine behaviors associated with safety and precautions, but families have different concerns and practices. Families that live in close proximity to kin might be more aware of familial risks for genetic disorders and diseases linked to hereditary. Family members may describe concerns about genetic predisposition to disorders for themselves or others, but they may also tell stories that describe inconsistencies between their beliefs, knowledge, and actual behaviors. For example, one mother said multiple extended family members had problems with diabetes and voiced concerns about her own risk. Although she said that her diet needed to be controlled and exercise was needed regularly, her overweight condition and descriptions of inactivity were indicated that knowledge does not assure behavioral changes in the household experience.
Personal health values and beliefs indicated that the ability to perform usual life roles and actively participate in daily life seem to be strong themes related to safety and child protection. Mothers are often vigilant in teaching preschool children about keeping safe inside and outside the household, avoiding illnesses and diseases, and evading situations that might result in injuries. Mother’s knowledge about children’s developmental stages is linked with safety concerns both inside and outside of the house. For instance, nurses at the health department had been doing active community teaching about the risks associated with lead poisoning; children in several families had been tested for lead poisoning and were found to have marginal risk levels (Denham, 1997, 1999a). A state law regarding child car seats and seat belts and an aggressive law enforcement agency assured that these mothers buckled preschool children into car seats and seat belts, but the same law seemed far less effective in assuring that teens and fathers also complied. Mothers with preschool children were all conscious about safety needs and cautioned children about risks, guided play activities, and warned about neighborhood concerns.
Family members may discuss routines related to actual or potential health risks such as smoking, alcohol or drug use, and non-adherence to medical routines. Some individuals might desire other family members to alter high-risk behaviors and risky activities. In the hospice study, community informants and family members described how they or others neglected their health when caring for a dying member. One mother said she had neglected to take her medications when her husband was sick. Others reported stress, weight loss, poor eating habits, physical exhaustion, and mental anguish as they assumed caregiving roles. Kin households were affected by the death of a family member.
Smoking is a habit generally viewed as deleterious to health. Participants discussed risks and negative attributes associated with smoking and drinking alcohol. One mother said, “Neither of us smoke and I don’t want my kids to do it. We don’t drink. I don’t want to introduce my kids into that kind of life.” Two mothers who smoked described long histories and pack-a-day habits, but were not concerned about health risks. Several parents, raised in households where their own parents had smoked, were well informed about smoking risks associated and actively taught their children avoidance at early ages. In several families where one parent smoked and the other did not, young children were often given mixed messages about the benefits and hazards created by smoking. Some parents that smoked described times when they had tried to quit, one mother said: “The times I’ve tried to stop, I didn’t like myself. I’d be real hateful! I didn’t want to be around nobody. I just kind of like went into a little depression.” However, having knowledge about health risks related to smoking behavior was not enough to deter some from smoking.
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