OBJECTIVE: Dog-bite injury posits a significant threat to children globally. This review evaluated efficacy of cognitive/behavioral interventions for improving children's knowledge and behaviors around dogs.
METHODS: Manuscripts published before January 3, 2014 evaluating cognitive/behavioral interventions for dog-bite prevention among children <18 years of age were eligible for inclusion. Among 2,270 abstracts screened, 123 full texts were retrieved. Twelve studies were included in the qualitative synthesis; nine were included in the meta-analysis. Risk of bias and quality of evidence were evaluated.
RESULTS: Cognitive/behavioral interventions had a moderate effect in improving children's knowledge and a larger effect in improving children's behavior with dogs. The most effective intervention strategies were video for knowledge and instruction with live dogs for behaviors. Quality of evidence was poor.
CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive/behavioral interventions have potential to improve both children's knowledge and behaviors around dogs. Future interventions should include multiple follow-ups on dog-bite rates from an international perspective using rigorous randomized controlled trials.