Evaluating injury prevention programs: The Oklahoma City Smoke Alarm Project

Evaluation of injury prevention programs is critical for measuring program effects on reducing injury-related morbidity and mortality or on increasing the adoption of safety practices. During the planning and implementation o f injury prevention programs, evaluation data also can be used to test prog ram strategies and to measure the program's penetration among the target po pulation. The availability of this early data enables program managers to r efine a program, increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes. The Oklahoma City Smoke Alarm Project illustrates how an evaluation was des igned to inform program decisions by providing methodologically sound data on program processes and outcomes. This community intervention trial was in stituted to reduce residential fire-related injuries and deaths in a geogra phic area of Oklahoma City that was disproportionately affected by this pro blem. The distribution of free smoke alarms in targeted neighborhoods was a ccompanied by written educational pamphlets and home-based followup to lest whether the alarms were functioning correctly. Early evaluation during the planning and implementation phases of the program allowed for midcourse co rrections that increased the program's impact on desired outcomes. During t he six years following the project, the residential fire-related injury rat e decreased 81% in the target population but only 7% in the rest of Oklahom a City. This dramatic decline in fire-related injuries in the target area i s largely attributed to the free smoke alarm distribution as well as to edu cational efforts promoting awareness about residential fires and their prev ention.