Examining the Effects of a Home Usability Intervention on Community and Home Participation
Issue Date
2021-05-31Author
Goddard, Kelsey Shinnick
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
98 pages
Type
Dissertation
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Discipline
Applied Behavioral Science
Rights
Copyright held by the author.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The usability of a person’s home is central to community living. In order to participate in the community, a person must be able to first bathe, dress, and leave home (Stineman et al., 2007). Unfortunately, however, the majority of people with mobility impairments live in housing that is not accessible to them (Bo’sher et al., 2015). To address accessibility concerns, home modifications offer a solution to make a person’s home more usable to them. Although previous studies have examined the effects of home modification interventions on functional performance, fall risk, and caregiver demand (Stark et al., 2017), no known studies have examined the effects of an interior home modification on community or home participation. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a home modification intervention on community and home participation. These data are analyzed as part of a larger study conducted under the Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living (RTC/PICL). Survey measures in the current analyses included a demographics questionnaire, home characteristics questionnaire, home safety measure, and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) in which participants completed a week of daily smartphone surveys to report if they were in their community or at home. If participants reported they were at home, they were asked to report which areas in their home they had visited since the last survey prompt. First, a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design was used to assess changes in community participation, home participation, and perceptions of home safety among participants who did and did not receive a home modification intervention. Results from the RCT design show that no statistically significant differences in community and home participation exist between the intervention and control groups. Second, a cross-sectional design was used to assess differences among participants who do and do not report (a) accessibility features within their home, (b) feeling safe in specified areas of their home, and (c) using a mobility aid. Results from the cross-sectional design show that participants who report (a) adequate kitchen light were more likely to spend time in their kitchen; (b) feeling safe entering their home, using their bedroom, and using their kitchen were respectively more likely to spend time in their community, bedroom, and kitchen; (c) using a mobility aid were more likely to spend time in their bathroom and bedroom; and (d) using a wheelchair were less likely to spend time in their basement. Finally, barriers to conducting research related to home modification interventions and community participation are discussed and potential solutions for future research are identified.
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- Dissertations [4764]
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