EVALUATING A SAFETY LITERACY BASED HOME SAFETY PROGRAMME TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIOUR AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THAILAND

Abstract

Background: Home related injuries and falls among older adults are a major public health issue, especially in ageing societies. Safety literacy, detimed as the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply safety information, is essential for promoting safe living and ageing in place. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community- based, safety literacy-driven home safety programme among older adults in Thailand. Methods: A quasi-experimental, two-group pretest-posttest design was conducted among 68 community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) in Thailand, equally assigned to experimental and control groups (n = 34). The eight-week intervention was guided by the Safety Literacy Model and the PAOR (Planning, Action, Observation, Reflection) framework, It included participatory workshops, home hazard assessments, fall-prevention exercises, and follow-up counseling. Validated tools assessed knowledge, attitudes, safety behaviour and safety literacy. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests (p < 0.05). Results: Post-intervention, the experimental group showed significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and safety behaviour compared with baseline and the control group (all p-values < 0.001). Mean safety literacy scores increased from 2.60 to 2.92 (t = 7.05, p < 0.001), and participants reported high satisfaction (mean = 2.88 ± 0.33). Conclusion: The safety literacy-based programme effectively enhanced multiple domains of safety competence among older adults. Integrating participatory learning

with environmental modification promotes independent risk management and supports safe ageing in place. Future studies should integrate technological innovations (e.g., mobile applications for home risk assessment and self-monitoring) to enhance accessibility and engagement.