title: Being a pedestrian with dementia: A qualitative study using photo documentation and focus group interviews.
abstract: The aim of the study was to identify problematic situations in using zebra crossings. They were identified from photo documentations comprising film sequences and the perspectives of people with dementia. The aim was also to identify how they would understand, interpret and act in these problematic situations based on their previous experiences and linked to the film sequences.A qualitative grounded theory approach was used. Film sequences from five zebra crossings were analysed. The same film sequences were used as triggers in two focus group interviews with persons with dementia. Individual interviews with three informants were also performed.The core category, the hazard of meeting unfolding problematic traffic situations when only one layer at a time can be kept in focus, showed how a problematic situation as a whole consisted of different layers of problematic situations. The first category, adding layers of problematic traffic situations to each other, was characterized by the informants' creation of a problematic situation as a whole. The different layers were described in the subcategories of layout of streets and zebra crossings, weather conditions, vehicles and crowding of pedestrians. The second category, actions used to meet different layers of problematic traffic situations, was characterized by avoiding problematic situations, using traffic lights as reminders and security precautions, following the flow at the zebra crossing and being cautious pedestrians.In conclusion, as community-dwelling people with dementia commonly are pedestrians, it is important that health care professionals and caregivers take their experiences and management of problematic traffic situations into account when providing support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden anna.brorsson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brorsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Health, Activity and Care and National Institute for the Study of Ageing and Later Life (NISAL), Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Öhman
authors.affiliation: School of Technology and Health, The Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nygård
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000069636:Pedestrians / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012449:Safety
keywords: ageing; dementia; pedestrian; traffic safety