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

Abstract

AbstractThe risk of fatal residential fires is known to be differentiated by sociodemographic factors. However, often prevention measures are introduced generally in a population, thereby perhaps affecting the effectiveness of these interventions. By using a 20-year high-quality register over fatal fires in Sweden and a previously validated Boolean expressions regarding the effectiveness for specific interventions, this study investigates the theoretical effectiveness of fire interventions in relation to different sociodemographic variables and fatal residential fires. The results show that the effectiveness of different fire-related prevention measures varies considerably in relation to different sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, municipal characteristics and living conditions. As such, the paper highlights the importance of matching the correct fire prevention measure to each individual depending upon sociodemographic risk factors in order to achieve maximal effectiveness.