Abstract

Unintentional injuries are a growing problem hindering progress towards the SDGs, especially among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Each year, approximately 8 75 000 children die of unintentional injuries and tens of millions more are hospitalized or disabled. Most childhood injuries occur within the home and can be prevented. Proven-effective interventions exist; however, scale up has been limited mainly due to insufficient resources. Thus, the problem of child injuries remains unaddressed. Mobile phones are increasingly recognized as a means of improving reach in low-resource settings. We developed and pilot-tested a smartphone application with the aim of reducing childhood injuries in Malaysia. This application presents an innovative, evidence-informed, and cost-effective strategy to deliver injury prevention interventions. However, there is minimal evidence on the effectiveness and implementation of smartphone applications, especially when scaled up within broader health systems. The aim of this study is to explore the implementation and dissemination of a smartphone application to prevent child injuries in Malaysia. We will conduct 15 in-depth interviews with decision-makers who are purposefully selected for their role in child health and safety interventions including program managers, health and day care providers, and community leaders. We will explore child health and safety interventions, perceptions on the use of smartphone applications, and strategies for dissemination. Transcripts will be uploaded to Nvivo 11 and thematic content analysis will be applied to identify relevant themes. From this study, we hope to gain an understanding of the implementation characteristics and dissemination strategies for a smartphone application to prevent child injuries in Malaysia. This knowledge will be used to inform a strategy for scale up as part of a future study, as well as contribute to the evidence base on the use of smartphone applications to deliver injury prevention and other interventions in low resource settings.