Housing interventions and control of injury-related structural deficiencies: a review of the evidence.
Subject matter experts systematically reviewed evidence on the effectiveness of housing interventions that affect safety and injury outcomes, such as falls, fire-related injuries, burns, drowning, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat-related deaths, and noise-related harm, associated with structural housing deficiencies. Structural deficiencies were defined as those deficiencies for which a builder, landlord, or home-owner would take responsibility (ie, design, construction, installation, repair, monitoring). Three of the 17 interventions reviewed had sufficient evidence for implementation: installed, working smoke alarms; 4-sided isolation pool fencing; and preset safe hot water temperature. Five interventions needed more field evaluation, 8 needed formative research, and 1 was found to be ineffective. This evidence review shows that housing improvements are likely to help reduce burns and scalds, drowning in pools, and fire-related deaths and injuries.
DiGuiseppi
Carolyn
C
Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Carolyn.DiGuiseppi@ucdenver.edu
Jacobs
David E
DE
Phelan
Kieran J
KJ
Mickalide
Angela D
AD
Ormandy
David
D
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006798:Housing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*