Identifying sociodemographic risk factors associated with residential fire fatalities: a matched case control study

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors and residential fire fatalities in Sweden. A majority of fatal fires occur in housing. An understanding of risk factors and risk groups is a must for well-founded decisions regarding targeted prevention efforts. There is a lack of consideration of the interrelation between sociodemographic factors and fire fatalities and there is a lack of high quality large-scale studies.MethodsIn this matched case-control study, residential fire fatalities (cases, n=850) (age above 19 years old) were identified in the national register on fatal fires. Four controls per case were randomly matched by gender and age. ORs were calculated to assess the association between different sociodemographic factors with residential fire fatalities using conditional logistic regression.ResultsHaving low income, receiving social allowance and receiving health-related early retirement pension were associated with an increased risk of dying in residential fires. The results also show clearly that adults dying in residential fires to a significantly lower extent were living together with a partner, were in work, were highly educated and lived in urban areas. However, contrary to previous research, living in rented apartments appeared not to influence the risk of death.ConclusionsIn this study, we show that fatalities due to residential fires in Sweden are associated with some but not all of previously published sociodemographic risk factors. The results provide valuable information that can improve the guiding and targeting of fire mortality prevention strategies in Sweden.

Comparison of causes, characteristics and consequences of residential fires in social and non-social housing dwellings in New South Wales, Australia

“…Existing literature has extensively discussed factors associated with residential fires and individuals characteristics, their socio-economic conditions, the built environment that they are living in and the fire circumstances. Individual characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status, occupants behaviour, poor mobility or alcohol intoxication ( Harpur et al, 2013 , Jonsson, 2017 , Jonsson et al, 2017 , Jonsson and Jaldell, 2020 , Nilson and Bonander, 2021 , Runefors and Nilson, 2021 , Tannous and Agho, 2017 , Turner et al, 2017 , Xiong et al, 2015 , Xiong et al, 2017 ) as well as the type of building ( Xiong et al, 2015 , Špatenková and Virrantaus, 2013 ), furniture ( Thomas et al, 2016 ), smoke alarm and fire safety measures ( Thomas and Bruck, 2010 , Istre et al, 2001 ) and fire circumstances such as electricity, cooking and smoking materials ( Xiong et al, 2015 , Ahrens, 2013 , Xiong et al, 2017 ) have been associated as risk and protective factors for deaths and injuries in residential fire incidents. Those younger than 5 years old or older than 65, being male, being unemployed and having lower educational attainment, alcohol and smoking and living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas have been shown to increase the risk of experiencing residential fires and worsen health outcomes.…”

“…In addition, residential occupants alerted by a smoke alarm may not have the physical or cognitive capacity to evacuate safely. Previous literature has indicated that for a specific socio-economic subgroup of individuals, certain fire safety measures may be very useful and not so effective for the others and that the results regarding specific interventions may differ based on the group that receives it ( Jonsson and Jaldell, 2020 , Nilson and Bonander, 2021 , Runefors et al, 2016 ). Smoke alarms appear most effective in fires that are not initiated by children playing with fire ( Istre et al, 2002 ) and in properties in which, there are not any vulnerable residents present ( Marshall et al, 1998 ).…”

The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on the Theoretical Effectiveness of Fire Prevention Interventions on Fatal Residential Fires

“…Whilst the reason for the varied results regarding certain interventions could be methodological or technical, it could also be that the effect differs depending upon the group that receives the intervention. Specifically, although safety interventions can be evaluated on a general, national or local level, it is widely known that fire mortality is distinctly affected by sociodemographic factors [14]. Returning to the five points in the fire process [5], it can be presumed that the overrepresentation of certain subgroups in term of the risk of fire mortality is due to sociodemographic factors affecting one or several of these points.…”

Barriers and Facilitators for Implementation of Individualized Fire Safety (IFS) in Sweden

“…Of those who die in fires each year, *Correspondence should be addressed to: Johanna Gustavsson, E-mail: johanna.gustavsson@ kau.se approximately 75% die in their homes [2]. One group that appears to be particularly at risk is older people [3,4]. Given predictions of an aging society [5], it is reasonable to expect the number of fire fatalities to grow rather than decline in this group.…”

“…In 2010, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) issued a Vision Zero concerning fire deaths for Sweden [28]. This adoption has resulted in numerous initiatives to understand the question of who dies in fires in Sweden, and how these might be prevented [1][2][3][4][29][30][31][32]. Identification of the fact that most fire fatalities occur in homes, and that older people represent a particularly vulnerable risk group, lead MSB to issue public guidelines to the Municipal Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) concerning IFS in 2013 [33], introducing a concept for systematic fire safety targeting vulnerable groups, including criteria for identification of risk individuals and their needs to reduce fire risk.…”