Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Home Safety

Background: Home safety involves identifying existing or potential dangers within and around the residence that can cause bodily harm, injury, or death. Household incidents significantly contribute to injuries and deaths worldwide, particularly among young and elderly populations. Major causes of domestic accidents include inadequate supervision, poor safety education, and lack of awareness about potential household hazards. Objective: The study aims to develop and validate a tool for assessing potential dangers in the homes of elderly individuals in Greece. Methodology: The final scale includes ten components. Participants answered questions about home safety with responses categorized as "no" or "yes." Scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater home safety. The study involved 112 individuals from across Greece. Data were collected anonymously, without personal identifiers, and analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0. Results: The participants had an average age of 56.9 years. Most participants were women, accounting for 69.7% of the total, and 66.4% of them had children. 48.1% of the individuals were cohabiting with their offspring. 37.7% of individuals were residing alone, while 62.3% were cohabiting with at least one other individual. 53.3% of the population were living outside of Patras. 37.7% of the individuals were in a state of matrimony, while 62.3% were not married, divorced, or widowed. 84.5% of the kitchens were deemed safe. Out of all the cases, the bathroom was considered safe in 46.7% of them. The participants' mean self-assessed home safety ratings were higher when the researchers classified the home as safe, including all six safety characteristics. Conclusions: The questionnaire can be utilized by educational institutions to facilitate training programs, while researchers can employ it to gather data on home safety among various demographic groups. This tool offers a holistic approach to managing dangers and fostering safe living circumstances at home.