Heightened Risk of Fire Deaths among Older African Americans and Native Americans

Abstract

SYNOPSISObjective. We examined disparities in burn and fire injuries by age and race/ ethnicity to identify disparities during the life course.Methods. Burn and fire mortality rates were disaggregated by five-year age groups, gender, and race/ethnicity from 1999 to 2004.Results. Compared with non-Hispanic white people, Native American and African American people older than 55 years of age experienced a higher risk of death from fires and burns. The rate ratio of burn/fire deaths for African Americans compared with white people was 3.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.98, 3.31) for those aged 55 years and older. The corresponding rate ratio for Native Americans compared with white people was 1.93 (95% CI 1.49, 2.46) for those aged 55 years and older.Conclusion. The especially heightened risk among minority seniors could reflect living arrangements that place them at higher risk. Heightened fire risks for minority seniors require broad attention and the development of effective interventions.

Home fire safety beliefs and practices in homes of urban older adults

“…Because the majority of participants identified living on a fixed income, this posed a significant challenge for them to purchase smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, despite being at increased risk for CO poisoning. 9 Smoke alarm use has been found to be lower among the poor, urban, and non-white populations, 5,12 which is consistent with our findings. Many of the participants talked about utilizing a program in our city whereby homeowners can have a smoke alarm installed in their home by the fire department free of charge.…”

“…This finding was consistently addressed in the literature. 2,5,7,9,12 Participants recognized the importance of fire prevention education and being prepared in case of a fire, however, they often pointed to their health as a reason for not implementing HFS practices. Fire prevention interventions need to be tailored according to the specific challenges facing the older adults.…”

Domestic fire emergency escape plans among the aged in NSW, Australia: the impact of a fire safety home visit program

“…The majority of fire-related injuries and deaths in developed countries occur in the home [1–5]. In the United States, most fire-related deaths among young, middle-aged and older people are caused by residential fires [6–8]. In 2012–13, more than three-quarters of all fire-related deaths in the United Kingdom occurred in residential dwellings [9, 10] .…”

Ambient Technology to Assist Elderly People in Indoor Risks

“…Additionally, the low financial income of elderly people can be considered a reason for not having advanced warning devices such as a smoke and/or carbon monoxide (CO) alarms [121] and they may not be able to support home maintenance and improvement expenses which may reduce the risk of a fire or burn injury according to the U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Data Center [109], since safety may not rank high on the list of concerns for people with a low income. A study performed by Bishai et al [122] revealed that during a safety inspection, more than 50% of elderly people had inadequate safety equipment in their bathroom and over 30% had tap water temperatures exceeding 140 • F (60 • C), which may lead to a scald injury. Furthermore, households with low income are less likely to have a safe heating system, safe electrical services, and fire safety measures.…”