Date Presented 04/22/2023
This study identified home safety hazards and concerns for adolescents with acquired brain injuries during interviews with three stakeholder groups: adolescents, caregivers, and clinicians. A variety of home safety hazards and concerns are presented.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah E. Anderson
Additional Authors and Speakers: Taylor Stamper, Sarah Pierce, Amy Darragh
Contributing Authors: Jennifer P. Lundine
PURPOSE: Adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience decreased independence and are at an increased risk for additional injuries and other negative outcomes. Aim 1 of this pilot study was to identify safety hazards and concerns for adolescents with ABI in home environments.
DESIGN: Using a mixed-methods, participatory approach, we engaged three stakeholder groups in interviews: adolescents with ABI, their caregivers, and clinicians who work with this population.
METHOD: Participants completed surveys on demographics, adaptive function, and home hazards. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted in-person or via Zoom. Interviews were 1-1.5 hours long and included facilitated discussion and a priority hazard identification activity to address Aim 1. Data analysis is ongoing. Recorded interviews are currently being analyzed via content analysis to identify themes, and survey data are being analyzed with descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: Preliminary data are presented. 13 providers, 5 caregivers, and 5 adolescents with ABI participated in the study. A variety of clinical experts addressed home safety: ∼30% OT, ∼30% PT, ∼23% SLP, and ∼15% other. Adolescents ranged in age from 13-17 yrs., and all had experienced a traumatic brain injury. All caregivers who participated were mothers or grandmothers of adolescents with ABI. A wide variety of hazards were discussed during the interviews.
CONCLUSION: This study uniquely focuses on the home safety concerns for adolescents with ABI as expressed by clinicians, caregivers, and the adolescents themselves. Preliminary results indicate that home safety concerns a varied but present across all stakeholder groups. These findings contribute to the long-term objective of this study: to increase the home safety of adolescents with ABI by improving their ability to identify and respond to common household hazards. This research was funded by the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, through Grant Number: R49CE003074 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
References
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