Table 2

Alarm status by arm and time period

ArmFull EducationPracticeCurrent NormTotal
At enrolment
 Total Homes Enrolled13053141324
  Number of homes with no working alarm pre42153188
  Number of homes with some working alarms pre8838110236
  Percentage without any working alarms pre (95%CI)32.3% (24.2 to 40.4)28.3% (16.0 to 40.6)22.0% (15.1 to 28.9)27.2% (22.3 to 32.0)
 Mean number of alarms working on arrival at home (95%CI)1.18 (0.98 to 1.18)1.30 (0.98 to 1.62)1.43 (1.25 to 1.60)1.31 (1.18 to 1.43)
 Mean number of alarms installed (SE)2.13 (0.09)2.10 (0.13)2.09 (0.09)2.10 (0.06)
At follow-up
  Number of homes with no working alarm post1371737
  Percentage without any working alarms post10.0%13.2%12.1%11.4%
 Increase in per cent with working alarms22.3%15.1%9.9%15.8%
 Percentage of decrease in homes without working alarms69.0%53.3%45.2%58.0%
 Mean number of working alarms post2.062.001.891.96
 Increase in number of working alarms per home (95% CI)0.88 (0.66 to 1.11)0.70 (0.25 to 1.14)0.45 (0.24 to 0.66)0.65 (0.50 to 0.80)
 Percentage of increase in number of working alarms42.9%34.9%23.7%33.2%
 Mean time to follow-up (and SE)721 (22)867 (39)646 (17)715 (14)
 Method operability determined at follow-up
  Homes where alarms were tested at follow-up11749130
  Resident report of alarm operability only13411
  Per cent tested90.0%92.5%92.2%
  • Working alarms are hard-wired or have working batteries.