Accidents Increase in Inadequate Housing Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 3, 1 - 10, 27.12.2018

Fehminaz Temel Songül Acar Vaizoğlu

https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.454921

Öz

Objectives: Housing is
an important determinant of health, and substandard housing is a major public
health issue. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of home
accidents, and to evaluate the associations between housing conditions and home
accidents in a health centre region in Ankara.

Methods: In this
cross-sectional research, we collected data from a representative sample of 210
houses using two standard questionnaires, which was used in the WHO’s Large
Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) project. In
total, 528 people participated. 

Home accidents were self-reported and questioned for the previous year. We
developed a composite index to assess the overall housing conditions. Housing
conditions were accepted “inadequate” if the score was below the median. We
developed a logistic regression model to predict the housing-related factors in
accidents.

Results: Of the
participants, 60.4% were female, 89.0% had health insurance, and 56.1% were
married. Fifty-eight point three percent of the respondents were living in
inadequate housing conditions. The prevalence of home accidents during previous
year was 21.2%. The first three most common accident types were falls, cuts,
collision/striking and the mostly injured body parts were arm/upper limb,
leg/lower limb, surface area of the body. Some of the items which have been
involved in these accidents were construction features, kitchen equipment, and
knives. The accidents were more common among females, people who reported
fatigue, in kitchens with too little workplace and houses with noise
problems(p<0.05). The odds of home accidents were 1.8 times more (95%
CI:1.1-2.8) among residents living in inadequate housing conditions. The
logistic model showed that, accidents were 2.1 times more (95% CI: 1.1-4.2) in
those living in houses where adaptations for physical constraints were lacking,
and 1.9 times more among females (95% CI: 1.1-3.3).

Conclusion: Home
accidents were common and related to housing conditions. We recommended that
factors that can cause accidents in residential buildings be taken into
consideration during the construction phase through cooperation of the
municipality, the construction sector and the health personnel. This will
enable everyone to benefit from these arrangements in the house.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Housing, home accidents, injuries, LARES, housing conditions, safety

Kaynakça

• Bhanderi DJ, Choudhary S. A study of occurrence of domestic accidents in semi-urban community. Indian J Community Med (serial online) 2008 (cited 2018 Aug 15):33:104-6. Available from: URL: http://www.ijcm.org.in/text.asp?2008/ 33/2/104/40878.
• Bonnefoy XR. Braubach M, Moissonnier B, Monolbaev K, Röbbelin N. Housing and health in Europe: Preliminary results of pan-European study. Am J Public Health. 2003; 93(9):1559-1563.
• Bonnefoy X. Inadequate housing and health: an overview. Int J Environ Pollut. 2007; 30(Nos. 3/4):411–429.
• Bonnefoy X, Braubach M, Davidson M, Röbbel N. A Pan-European housing and health hurvey-description and evaluation of methods and approaches. Int J Environ Pollut. 2007; 30(3/4):363-383.
• Braubach M, Savelsberg J. Social inequalities and their influence on housing risk factors and health: a data report based on the WHO LARES database. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2009.
• Braubach M, Power A. Housing conditions and risk: reporting on a European study of housing quality and risk of accidents for older people. J Hous Elder. 2011; 25(3):288-305. doi: 10.1080/02763893.2011.595615.
• Brown MJ, Jacobs DE. Residential light and risk for depression and falls: results from the LARES study of eight European cities. Public Health Rep. 2011;1:131–40.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Healthy housing inspection manual. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.
• Cho HY, MacLachlan M, Clarke M, Mannan H. Accessible home environments for people with functional limitations: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016:13(8):826. doi:10.3390/ijerph13080826.
• Cobanoğlu Z. Konut Sağlığı. Birinci Baskı. Ankara: Somgür Yayıncılık; 1996.
• DiGuiseppi C, Jacobs DE, Phelan KJ, Mickalide AD, Ormandy D. Housing interventions and control of injury-related structural deficiencies: a review of the evidence. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2010;16(5S):34–43.
• Ellaway A, Macintyre S, Bonnefoy X. Graffiti, greenery, and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross sectional survey, BMJ. 2005;331:611-612.
• Evci ED, Ergin F, Beşer E. Home accidents in the elderly in Turkey. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2006 Aug;209(4):291-301.
• Guler C, Cobanoglu Z, editors. Konut Sağlığı. Birinci Baskı. Ankara: Yazıt Yayıncılık. 2008.
• Howden-Chapman P, Roebbel N, Chisholm E. Setting housing standards to improve global health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Dec 9;14(12). pii: E1542. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121542.
• Jacobs DE. Environmental health disparities in housing. Am J Public Health. 2011;101:115–122. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2010.300058.
• Kearns A, Hiscock R, Ellaway A, Macintyre S. Beyond four walls. The psycho-social benefits of home: evidence from West Central Scotland. Hous Stud. 2000;15(3): 387-410. doi: 10.1080/02673030050009249.
• Krieger J, Higgins DL. Housing and health: time again for public health action. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(5):758–768.
• Last JM. Housing and health. Wallace RB, Kohatsu N, Last JM, editors. Wallace/Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health&Preventive Medicine. 15th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2008. p. 919-923.
• Lyons RA, John A, Brophy S, Jones SJ, Johansen A, Kemp A, et al. Modification of the home environment for the reduction of injuries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Oct 18;(4):CD003600.
• Niemann DH, Maschke DC. Noise effects and morbidity; WHO LARES, Final report. World Health Organization Europe, 2004.
• Niemann H, Maschke C. WHO LARES: Final report: Noise effects and morbidity. Geneva, Switzerland. World Health Organization, 2004.
• Niemann H, Bonnefoy X, Braubach M, Hecht K, Maschke C, Rodrigues C, et al. Noise-induced annoyance and morbidity results from the pan-European LARES study. Noise Health. 2006;8:63-79.
• Sahin H, Erkal S. Evaluation of home accidents and fall behaviors of elderly. Turk Geriatri Derg. 2016;19(3):195-202.
• Veitch JA, Galasiu AD. The physiological and psychological effects of windows, daylight, and view at home: Review and research agenda. Ottawa, ON: NRC Institute for Research in Construction, 2012. ISBN IRC-RR-325. (cited August 14 2018): Available from: https://nparc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/view/fulltext/?id= 06e1364d-71f3-4766-8ac8-f91da5576358.
• WHO. Housing and health in Europe, Report on a WHO Symposium Bonn, Germany 6–8 June 2001. WHO Regional Office for Europe. World Health Organization. 2001.
• WHO. Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES), Preliminary overview. WHO Regional Office for Europe. Copenhagen, Denmark 2007.
• WHO. ‎Local housing and health action plans: a project manual. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. 2007‎. (cited 2018 August 12). Available from: http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/107870).
• WHO. Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing. Methods for quantifying health impacts of selected housing risks in the WHO European Region, Braubach M, Jacobs DE, Ormandy D, editors. World Health Organization. 2011. (cited 2018 August 11): Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/142077/e95004.pdf?ua=1.
• WHO. Housing and health risks. (cited 2018 August 11): Available from: URL: http://www.who.int/sustainable-development/housing/health-risks/about/en/