Implementation and Results of a Survey on Safe Community Programs in Gangbuk-gu, Korea: Focusing on Participants at a Local Public Health Center

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of and problems with the Safe Community Programs in Gangbuk-gu, one of the 25 districts of the capital city of Korea. Methods: The study subjects were 396 individuals who were involved in Safe Community Programs between 2009 and 2011. We exam¬ined the effectiveness and willingness of respondents to participate as a safety leader of the Safe Community Program with a question¬naire. We examined the injury death rates of Gangbuk-gu by using of the death certificate data of Korea’s National Statistical Office. De-scriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used. Results: The effectiveness of programs did not differ but active participation differed significantly among subjects (p<0.05). The inju¬ry death rate of Gangbuk-gu as a whole increased during the implementation period. However, senior safety, in particular, may be a helpful program for reducing injuries in Gangbuk-gu. Conclusions: This study suggests that the lack of active participation may be a major problem of Safe Community Programs in Gang¬buk-gu. Therefore, Safe Community Programs should be expanded to the entire district of Gangbuk-gu and more active participation programs should be developed.