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Jansen P, Snijders C, Willemsen MC. When increasing risk perception does not work. Using behavioral psychology to increase smoke alarm ownership. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:1357-1380. [PMID: 38097201 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The central question of our study is which determinants drive smoke alarm ownership and intention to purchase one, and whether we can increase smoke alarm ownership by addressing these determinants in a communication-based intervention. We first made an inventory of possible determinants for smoke alarm prevention by consulting prominent prevention behavior theories protection motivation theory and Health Belief Model and other relevant literature. We expanded this list of determinants based on interviews (n = 15) and used survey data representative for the Netherlands to decide to focus on smoke alarm ownership (rather than installation or maintenance). We then tested the determinants of smoke alarm ownership and buying intention in a survey (n = 622). Based on these results, we ran an A/B test (n = 310) of two messages to stimulate smoke alarm ownership: one emphasized the determinants we found to be strong predictors in the survey (know-how, social norm, annoyance) and one emphasized typical determinants that are often addressed in campaigns but were poor predictors in the survey (vulnerability, severity, benefits). Results showed that the message based on the strong determinants resulted in a significant increase in smoke alarm ownership (9.1%) compared to the control group (0.9%; p = 0.027), while the message using the typical determinants did not lead to significant effects. Taken together, our results give a promising direction for interventions to increase smoke alarm ownership, and above all, show that a comprehensive problem analysis for a specific target behavior is a necessary step to induce behavioral change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty Jansen
- Human Technology Interaction Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Snijders
- Human Technology Interaction Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn C Willemsen
- Human Technology Interaction Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Jheronimus Academy of Data Science, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
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Bagheri T, Forghani S, Hoveidamanesh S, Asgari M, Mahboubi O, Momeni M. An Assessment of the Fire Safety Standards in Iranian Homes and Equipment As They Relate to Fire Accidents. ANNALS OF BURNS AND FIRE DISASTERS 2024; 37:10-16. [PMID: 38680836 PMCID: PMC11042041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Fire accidents and burns are one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. This study was conducted with the aim of studying the etiology of fire accidents as well as investigating the fire safety standards of both homes and equipment in Iran. Samples included patients with flame burns who consented to answer the questions. Questions covered five areas: patient demographics, epidemiological characteristics of burns, the fire safety status of the home, the fire safety status of the equipment, and the mechanism of the accident. In this study, the mean extent of the burns was 18.07 ± 14.29% of body surface area and was significantly related to the age grouping of the patients. The highest total body surface area (TBSA) was observed in patients between 19 to 39 years. The most common cause of flame injuries was gas explosions (36.81%). The interviews revealed that most of the houses were not equipped with smoke detectors or fire extinguishers. The extent of burns was significantly higher in patients living in unequipped homes (P = 0.047). Cooking equipment was often involved in the accidents (38.1%). Considering the low home fire safety and the role of equipment misuse and damaged equipment use in the occurrence of accidents, it seems that installing fire alarms and firefighting equipment, proper training on how to work with and maintain the equipment, using cooking and heating equipment correctly along with discontinuing use if damaged would all be effective and are highly suggestive to reduce fire injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Bagheri
- Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - M. Asgari
- Janbazan Medical and Engineering Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - O. Mahboubi
- Mcmaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - M. Momeni
- Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Al-Hajj S, Thomas L, Morris S, Clare J, Jennings C, Biantoro C, Garis L, Pike I. Community Fire Risk Reduction: Longitudinal Assessment for HomeSafe Fire Prevention Program in Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6369. [PMID: 37510600 PMCID: PMC10379429 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Residential fires represent the third leading cause of unintentional injuries globally. This study aims to offer an overview and a longitudinal evaluation of the HomeSafe program implemented in Surrey in 2008 and to assess its effectiveness in mitigating fire-related outcomes. (2) Methods: Data were collected over a 12-year period (2008-2019). Assessed outcomes comprised frequency of fire incidents, residential fires, casualties, functioning smoke alarms, and contained fires. The effectiveness of each initiative was determined by comparing the specific intervention group outcome and the city-wide outcome to the pre-intervention period. (3) Results: This study targeted 120,349 households. HomeSafe achieved overwhelming success in decreasing fire rates (-80%), increasing functioning smoke alarms (+60%), increasing the percentage of contained fires (+94%), and decreasing fire casualties (-40%). The study findings confirm that the three most effective HomeSafe initiatives were firefighters' visits of households, inspections and installations of smoke alarms, and verifications of fire crew alarms at fire incidents. Some initiatives were less successful, including post-door hangers (+12%) and package distribution (+15%). (4) Conclusions: The HomeSafe program effectively decreased the occurrence and magnitude of residential fires. Lessons learned should be transferred to similar contexts to implement an evidence-based, consistent, and systematic approach to sustainable fire prevention initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar Al-Hajj
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
| | - Larry Thomas
- City of Surrey Fire Service, Surrey, BC V3W 4P1, Canada
| | | | - Joseph Clare
- UWA Law School, The University of Western Australia, M253, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Charles Jennings
- Department of Security, Fire, and Emergency Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, 524 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | | | - Len Garis
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
- Department of Security, Fire, and Emergency Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, 524 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA
- School of Culture, Media, and Society, The University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
| | - Ian Pike
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
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Al-Hajj S, Desapriya E, Pawliuk C, Garis L, Pike I. Interventions for Preventing Residential Fires in Vulnerable Neighbourhoods and Indigenous Communities: A Systematic Review of the Literature. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095434. [PMID: 35564830 PMCID: PMC9100970 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Globally, residential fires constitute a substantial public health problem, causing major fire-related injury morbidity and mortality. This review examined the literature on residential fire prevention interventions relevant to Indigenous communities and assessed their effectiveness on mitigating fire incidents and their associated human and economic burden. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science Core Collection were reviewed for studies on fire prevention interventions published after 1990 and based on the 4E’s of injury prevention approaches (Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and Engagement). The grey literature and sources including indigenous organizational websites were also searched for eligible studies. Two authors independently screened, selected, and extracted data, in consultation with experts in the field. Outcomes measured included enhanced safety knowledge and practices, decreased residential fires incidents, reduced fire-related injuries and deaths, and lowered costs for healthcare needs. After removing duplicates, screening titles and abstracts, and assessing full texts, 81 articles were included in this review. Of the included studies, 29.1% implemented educational interventions within a variety of settings, including schools, community centres and homes, and included healthcare professionals and firefighters to raise awareness and the acquisition of fire safety skills. Engineering and environmental modifications were adopted in 20.2% of the studies with increased smoke alarm installations being the leading effective intervention followed by sprinkler inspections. Moreover, engagement of household members in hands-on safety training proved to be effective in enhancing household knowledge, fire safety decisions and practices. More importantly, effective outcomes were obtained when multi-faceted fire safety interventions were adopted, e.g., environmental modification and educational interventions, which together markedly reduced fire incidents and associated injuries. This review reveals the dearth of fire prevention evidence gathered directly within Indigenous communities. Nonetheless, relevant fire prevention recommendations can be made, calling for the adoption of combined and context-sensitive fire prevention interventions tailored to targeted Indigenous and vulnerable communities through multiple approaches and measures. Follow-ups and longitudinal studies are critical for accurate evaluation of the long-term outcomes and impacts on preventing residential fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar Al-Hajj
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, The American University of Beirut, Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Lebanon
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; (E.D.); (C.P.); (L.G.); (I.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ediriweera Desapriya
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; (E.D.); (C.P.); (L.G.); (I.P.)
| | - Colleen Pawliuk
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; (E.D.); (C.P.); (L.G.); (I.P.)
| | - Len Garis
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; (E.D.); (C.P.); (L.G.); (I.P.)
- School of Culture, Media and Society, The University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada
| | - Ian Pike
- British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; (E.D.); (C.P.); (L.G.); (I.P.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada
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Frattaroli S, Schulman E, McDonald EM, Omaki EC, Shields WC, Jones V, Brewer W. Utilizing Facebook and Automated Telephone Calls to Increase Adoption of a Local Smoke Alarm Installation Program. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:E27-E33. [PMID: 31136522 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000000788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Innovative strategies are needed to improve the prevalence of working smoke alarms in homes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the effectiveness of Facebook advertising and automated telephone calls as population-level strategies to encourage an injury prevention behavior. OBJECTIVE We examine the effectiveness of Facebook advertising and automated telephone calls as strategies to enroll individuals in Baltimore City's Fire Department's free smoke alarm installation program. PARTICIPANTS We directed our advertising efforts toward Facebook users eligible for the Baltimore City Fire Department's free smoke alarm installation program and all homes with a residential phone line included in Baltimore City's automated call system. DESIGN The Facebook campaign targeted Baltimore City residents 18 years of age and older. In total, an estimated 300 000 Facebook users met the eligibility criteria. Facebook advertisements were delivered to users' desktop and mobile device newsfeeds. A prerecorded message was sent to all residential landlines listed in the city's automated call system. RESULTS By the end of the campaign, the 3 advertisements generated 456 666 impressions reaching 130 264 Facebook users. Of the users reached, 4367 individuals (1.3%) clicked the advertisement. The automated call system included approximately 90 000 residential phone numbers. Participants attributed 25 smoke alarm installation requests to Facebook and 458 to the automated call. CONCLUSION Facebook advertisements are a novel approach to promoting smoke alarms and appear to be effective in exposing individuals to injury prevention messages. However, converting Facebook message recipients to users of a smoke alarm installation program occurred infrequently in this study. Residents who participated in the smoke alarm installation program were more likely to cite the automated call as the impetus for their participation. Additional research is needed to understand the circumstances and strategies to effectively use the social networking site as a tool to convert passive users into active participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Frattaroli
- The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Baltimore, Maryland (Drs Frattaroli and Jones, Mr Schulman, and Mss McDonald, Omaki, and Shields); and Baltimore City Fire Department, Baltimore, Maryland (Mr Brewer)
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Gielen AC, Frattaroli S, Pollack KM, Peek-Asa C, Yang JG. How the science of injury prevention contributes to advancing home fire safety in the USA: successes and opportunities. Inj Prev 2018; 24:i7-i13. [PMID: 29483239 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the decades since the landmark report-America Burning-was published in 1973, the number of home fire deaths has shrunk from >5500 per year to 2650 in 2015. This paper: (1) describes how science and practice in injury prevention and fire and life safety contributed to successful interventions, and (2) identifies emerging strategies and future opportunities to prevent home fire-related deaths. METHODS The aims are addressed through the lens of population health research, with a focus on the work of selected Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Injury Control Research Centers. Results are organised using the Haddon Matrix and an ecological model. RESULTS We found evidence to support interventions that address all components of both the matrix and the model, including: reduced ignition propensity cigarettes, stop smoking campaigns, housing codes, residential sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, community risk reduction, school-based educational programmes, and fire and burn response systems. Future reductions are likely to come from enhancing residential sprinkler and smoke alarm technology, and increasing their utilisation; expanding the use of community risk reduction methods; and implementing new technological solutions. Despite the successes, substantial disparities in home fire death rates remain, reflecting underlying social determinants of health. CONCLUSION Most of the evidence-supported interventions were focused on changing the policy and community environments to prevent home fires and reduce injury when a fire occurs. Future prevention efforts should give high priority to addressing the continued disparities in home fire deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gielen
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shannon Frattaroli
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Keshia M Pollack
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Corinne Peek-Asa
- Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa city, Iowa, USA
| | - Jingzhen G Yang
- Center for Injury Research and Policy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Omaki E, Shields WC, Frattaroli S, McDonald E, Jones V, Gielen A. Six-month follow-up of lithium-battery smoke alarms and self-reported reasons for disabling. Inj Prev 2016; 23:67-69. [PMID: 26781637 DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2015-041870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Although smoke alarms with lithium batteries are often marketed as '10-year alarms', on average, these alarms do not remain functional for 10 years. This paper describes self-reported reasons for non-working lithium-battery alarms 6-9 months following a smoke alarm installation programme. Data presented are for a cohort of 754 homes that participated in the installation programme and subsequently completed follow-up. A total of 1487 smoke alarms were installed. At follow-up, 126 alarms (8%) were missing and 37 (3%) were observed to be non-working. Of the non-working alarms, residents reported that they had been disabled 57% of the time. Reasons for disabling the alarms most often included that the battery was chirping (38%) or that it sounded while someone was cooking (24%). Smoke alarm installation programmes using lithium-battery alarms should consider highlighting education about smoke alarm maintenance, the hush feature and resources to replace alarms that malfunction soon after installation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Omaki
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wendy C Shields
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shannon Frattaroli
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eileen McDonald
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Vanya Jones
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrea Gielen
- Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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