Children’s Understanding of Public Safety Signage: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to provides a scoping review of papers published before 30 July 2023 that explore the level of development of public safety signs design among children. Descriptive analyses were performed on 28 articles. Method: Because the review question is comprehensive, we found the scoping review to be the most appropriate way to answer this question. In order to ensure clarity and transparency, and to avoid adverse and poor reporting, We conducted our scoping review based on the 2020 PRISMA Checklist. Result: Since cultural background and signage category can also affect signage comprehension, separate studies are required by country, region, and signage type. The types of signage and countries in the current related research are relatively scattered, and there is no specific classification of public safety signage types. Most of them are safety signs in specific scenarios, such as trains and swimming pools. At the same time, the research areas are mostly concentrated in the UK in Europe, Hong Kong and Indonesia in Asia. Conclusion: These data could provide stronger evidence to identify and establish pathways to improve children’s understanding of public safety signage.