Community intervention and changes in accident pattern in a rural Swedish municipality

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Abstract
An intervention programme aimed at the prevention of accidental injuries with special emphasis on the home and work environments has been conducted in a geographically defined municipal district population in Skaraborg County in western Sweden. The study is of quasi-experimental design and enables the study of changes in accident pattern in districts subject to study before, during and after intervention, and furthermore enables a comparison of the accident incidence with comparable control districts to be made. When comparing accident environments, a reduction in the incidence of home accidents can be noted (of 27%), as well as a reduction in occupational accidents (of 28%) in the very areas where an intervention has taken place, other accidents, finally, being reduced by one per cent. During the period of the study, the number of discharges and the number of nursing days due to injuries from external causes decreased in the district subject to study as compared with the control district and Skaraborg County as a whole. A lower accident incidence and a change in the degree of severity of accidents and in the type of accidents can also be noted in specific age and occupational groups. Knowledge and awareness of accident risks has improved, and interest in actively participating in preventive work has increased. The methods of working with accident prevention by community intervention through existing organizations and welfare functions such as child health care, child welfare, pensioner welfare and occupational health care has thus proved successful.

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