Roberts H, Curtis K, Liabo K, Rowland D, DiGuiseppi C, Roberts I
Child Health Research and Policy Unit, City University, London, UK.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004 Apr;58(4):280-5. doi: 10.1136/jech.2003.007948.
The UK government recommends that local authorities install battery operated smoke alarms to prevent fire related injury. However, a randomised controlled trial of smoke alarm installation in local authority housing found a low level of working alarms at follow up. Qualitative work, which accompanied the trial explored barriers and levers to the use of this public health intervention.
Semi-structured group and individual interviews were conducted with a sample of the adult participants in a randomised controlled trial of free smoke alarm installation. Group interviews and "draw and write" exercises were conducted with children at a local primary school.
A sample of trial participants and primary school children in the trial neighbourhood.
An inner city housing estate in central London.
The main barrier to smoke alarm use was the distress caused by false alarms. Although trial participants considered themselves to be at high risk for fires and would recommend smoke alarms to others, respondents' reports on the distress caused by false alarms suggest that people balance immediate and longer term risks to their health and wellbeing when they disable alarms.
This study identified some of the reasons for the low level of functioning smoke alarms, and problems experienced with alarms. The results have implications for the implementation of this public health intervention. The effectiveness of smoke alarm installation could be improved if alarm manufacturers and those responsible for implementation programmes considered ways of tackling the issues raised in this study.
英国政府建议地方当局安装电池供电的烟雾报警器以预防与火灾相关的伤害。然而，一项针对地方当局住房中烟雾报警器安装的随机对照试验发现，随访时工作的报警器数量较少。伴随该试验开展的定性研究探讨了使用这种公共卫生干预措施的障碍和促进因素。
对免费烟雾报警器安装随机对照试验中的成年参与者样本进行了半结构化小组访谈和个人访谈。在当地一所小学对儿童进行了小组访谈和“绘图与写作”练习。
试验参与者样本以及试验社区内的小学生。
伦敦市中心的一个内城区住宅区。
使用烟雾报警器的主要障碍是误报引起的困扰。尽管试验参与者认为自己火灾风险很高，并会向他人推荐烟雾报警器，但受访者关于误报造成困扰的报告表明，人们在禁用报警器时会权衡对自身健康和幸福的近期和长期风险。
本研究确定了烟雾报警器工作水平低的一些原因以及报警器存在的问题。研究结果对实施这种公共卫生干预措施具有启示意义。如果报警器制造商和负责实施计划的人员考虑解决本研究中提出问题的方法，烟雾报警器安装的有效性可能会得到提高。
