Risk and protective factors associated with the Safe Living Program (SLP)
| Safe Living Program strategy | Change in risk and protective factors |
|---|---|
| Sales of subsidised smoke detectors to targeted pensioner households 1991–92 | By 1993, 11% of targeted pensioner households had subsidised smoke detectors compared with 3% of non-targeted pensioner households |
| For all households, no detectable difference in presence of smoke detectors between shires | |
| Establishment of approved child restraint fitting station | Fitting of approximately 50 restraints per year and checking of about 100 |
| School playground equipment audit | Implementation of 57% of 452 audit recommendations in 93% (15) of schools |
| Child safety courses conducted by Train the Trainer course participants | By 1993, 25 child safety courses had been conducted reaching 185 community residents |
| Trial of local footpath cycling legislation | Regulation introduced as result of SLP advocacy. Footpath cycling increased significantly (47% to 56%, p<0.01) between 1991 and 1992 |
| Bicycle helmet wearing | Wearing rates in targeted area of Bulla increased from 40% in 1991 to 68% by 1993 |
| Increased promotion of use of the existing Early Childhood Injury Prevention Program (ECIPP) | Distribution of 3000 ECIPP parent materials in Bulla compared with 500 in Melton in 1993 (program available statewide) |
| Use of municipal handyman services for senior citizens | Number of safety jobs conducted by the service in Bulla increased from 20 in a three month period in 1992 to 40 in the same period in 1993 (for example, grab rails, shower hoses, modifications, special equipment, white edging on steps) |
| Hot water temperature reductions | 27% of Bulla residents knew that hot water should be <50°C to prevent scalding compared with 9.5% in Melton in 1996 |
| Home safety package | The 1991 telephone survey indicated 5.4% of Bulla households made changes in the year after receiving the package |
| 0.3% made changes in the two months after the 1996 distribution of the package | |
| Road safety audit | Implementation of 47% of audit recommendations |