title: Examining quality function deployment in safety promotion in Sweden.
abstract: The first-hand needs and demands of laypersons are not always considered when safety promotion programmes are being developed. We compared focal areas for interventions identified from residents' statements of safety needs with focal areas for interventions identified by local government professionals in a Swedish urban community certified by the international Safe Community movement supported by the World Health Organization. Quantitative and qualitative data on self-expressed safety needs from 787 housing residents were transformed into an intervention design, using the quality function deployment (QFD) technique and compared with the safety intervention programme developed by professionals at the municipality administrative office. The outcome of the comparison was investigated with regard to implications for the Safe Community movement. The QFD analysis identified the initiation and maintenance of social integrative processes in housing areas as the most highly prioritized interventions among the residents, but failed to highlight the safety needs of several vulnerable groups (the elderly, infants and persons with disabilities). The intervention programme designed by the public health professionals did not address the social integrative processes, but it did highlight the vulnerable groups. This study indicates that the QFD technique is suitable for providing residential safety promotion efforts with a quality orientation from the layperson's perspective. Views of public health professionals have to be included to ascertain that the needs of socially deprived residents are adequately taken into account. QFD can augment the methodological toolbox for safety promotion programmes, including interventions in residential areas.
authors: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden agneta.kullberg@liu.se.
authors: Agneta
authors: A
authors: Kullberg
authors: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Nordqvist
authors: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
authors: Kent
authors: K
authors: Lindqvist
authors: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
authors: Toomas
authors: T
authors: Timpka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011786:Quality Control; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D017751:Safety Management; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014505:Urban Population; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
keywords: community participation; community safety promotion; quality improvement