Exploring the factors contributing to a severe injury in a domestic staircase accident

Abstract

The incidence of fatal staircase accidents in Japanese households has remained consistent for several decades, with staircase dimension regulations seeing minimal revisions since their inception. Studies concurrently investigating the influence of staircase factors and user factors on staircase accidents, particularly in terms of severity, are lacking. This study examined how these factors influence the severity of accidents by means of an Internet-based questionnaire survey. A private company was tasked with conducting the survey, and logistic regression analysis, encompassing both staircase and user factors, was performed on 165 individuals in the mild injury group and 129 in the severe injury group from a pool of 6945 responses. The odds ratio (OR) of the severe injury group to the mild injury group was assessed. For staircase factors, the OR of severe injury was 2.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23-3.79) for straight stairs, with increased OR observed with a higher number of steps and wider staircases. Regarding user factors, the OR was 3.80 (95% CI: 1.29-11.14) for individuals with visual disturbance, with the OR escalating with age. This study suggests that in Japan, among the legally defined factors for stairways, limiting the installation of straight stairways and setting limits on stairway width can reduce the impact on the severity of accidents. And, of course, it is crucial to promote the use of alternatives, especially among high-risk users.