Investigating the over-representation of older persons in Do-It-Yourself home maintenance injury and barriers to prevention

Principal Researchers: Professor Joan Ozanne-Smith, Ms Karen Ashby
Associate Researchers: Ms Barbara Fox, Dr Johannes Wenzel (Dandenong Hospital)
Co-operating organisations: Cities of Monash and Greater Dandenong
Funding source: Ian Potter Foundation and Department of Human Services Public Health Research Grant Scheme.

Purpose and Background

The purpose of this project is to investigate the over-representation of older persons in Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home maintenance injury and barriers to preventing these injuries. DIY activities refer to those home maintenance tasks such as lawn mowing, pruning, cleaning spouting, or painting that you undertake in your own home. Our research is important because people aged 60 years and over are prone to more frequent and more severe injuries than younger people undertaking DIY activities. Current knowledge is limited, so if we can obtain as much information as possible from people who engage in home maintenance activities, then we can find solutions to prevent these injuries.

Who is eligible to participate in this study

We are looking to involve approximately 120-150 persons aged 60 years or older who are either:

• residents of the Cities of Monash or Greater Dandenong and use council services to assist with their home maintenance
• members of a seniors community group in the Cities of Monash or Greater Dandenong
• patients of Southern Health hospitals (Monash Medical Centre or Dandenong Hospital) who have presented to the emergency department at these hospitals in 2004 with a DIY related injury

Procedures

Participation in this project will involve:

• Participating in one focus group discussion to be held at a local venue for one hour. In this session participants will be encouraged to discuss attitudes to and experiences of DIY. Approximately 8 people will be involved in the discussion group.
• Completion of a brief questionnaire that will record demographic information such as age, gender, and details about the home in which they live.

Possible Benefits

We anticipate that the findings of this research could result in a reduction in deaths and serious injuries from DIY related injury among older adults. We plan to report de-identified findings from this study to local and state government and private companies so they can tailor programs that offer the types of services that seniors would consider using to make home maintenance safer. In addition, results will be published in the public health literature to assist other sectors who are attempting to address the same injury problem.

Privacy, Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information

Please be assured that identifying information will not be revealed in the results. Any quotes used from focus group sessions will be anonymous. The information provided will be kept in storage at the Monash University Accident Research Centre for at least five years.

Ethics

This project has been approved by the Southern Health Human Research Ethics Committee and by the Monash University Ethics for Research Involving Humans.

Further information or questions