{"paper_id":"0458a72f-b8bd-4acb-a388-5bc200ffb4e0","body_text":"Perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council, Enugu state, Nigeria | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council, Enugu state, Nigeria Sunday Abonyi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The study aims to examine the perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Council Area of Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The study adopted qualitative cross-sectional research design with In-depth Interview administered to 24 participants within the ages of 60 and above and resident in the area for at least six months prior to commencement of the study. Data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from the study reveals that the major forms of hazards commonly experienced by participants include; falls, cuts, burns, electric shocks and others. Deteriorating physical functioning, low socio-economic status, inappropriate housing designs, low educational backgrounds or poor knowledge/skills on application of modern kitchen equipments amongst others were revealed as potential risk factors in the self determination of elderly women to carry out kitchen activities. The study concludes that issues related to Kitchen hazards are not given desired attention in many rural areas of Nigeria and other developing countries. It was therefore recommended that adequate surveillance system and expanded educational programmes be undertaken by various public institutions in addition to making the current kitchen area to align with the needs of older adults. Perceived effect Kitchen Hazards Elderly women Children 1. Introduction Ageing is a global phenomenon associated with both biological and social realities. According to World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), ageing leads to demineralization of the bones, inverted thin/fat muscle relation with gradual reduction in muscular/ movement strength and culminating into high risk of disease and ultimately death. The elderly in many societies are seen as veritable source of wisdom or knowledge and as such are highly respected, revered as well as held in very high esteem by other members of the society (Oladeji, 2017 ). The ongoing demographic change indicates that the number of older persons are increasing rapidly especially in sub-Saharan Africa, with women trying to out-number the males. According to the United Nations World Population Prospect (2022), women composed of about 55.7% of people aged 65 years and above globally, although, the figure is projected to drop to 54.5% by 2050 going by the progress in medical sciences which have given men more opportunities to live successfully and attain old age. In a report given by the United Nations Organization (UN, 2024), Europe and North America were have the highest proportion of older people (19%) of both male and female within the ages of 65 years and above among other nations of the world followed by Australia and New Zealand with 16.6% each while Africa recorded the least with 3.0%. Nigeria which is regarded as the most populous nation in Africa with the overall population of 226.5 million is composed of 4.1% and 3.0% for older people within the ages of 55–64 and 65 and above respectively. Mbam ( 2022 ) reveals that in Nigeria and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, a greater percentage of elderly population are found in the rural areas. Modernization and development however seems to have brought some changes in such a way that many elderly women do not have people to assist them in meal preparation as a result of migration of the young ones from the rural to urban centers for employment and other socio-economic opportunities. Oladeji ( 2017 ) notes that in African extended family system, children are expected to provide and run errands for parents as well as assist in carrying out some domestic chores. The author noted that as a result of the depressing economic climate that had enveloped many countries, the effectiveness of these roles are being compromised. Although, children may continue to remit money, goods and other household needs to the elderly parents but such provisions may not be enough to reflect the traditional family system and kinship arrangements where children are expected to be around to give direct assistance and care to the elderly parents (Cohen & Menken, 2006). Apart from providing companionship that is necessary for the smooth functioning of the household, the role of children and domestic helpers tend to save elderly mothers from stress and being overburdened with excess workloads. In Asia, China and many African countries, domestic chores such as sweeping, cooking, laundry works, childcare assistance and provision of other forms of informal services to the older adults were carried out by children/family members and relatives in the traditional family setting (Sun, 2014 , Plothner et al, 2019 ). Many elderly women are injured, disabled, die untimely or prone to other forms of hazards particularly in the process of cooking. Studies have also shown that many elderly women who do not have someone to help in meal preparation have increased risk of sustaining some injuries despite the fact that cooking the family meal is one of the essential role of a woman in the home (Pimouguet et al, 2016, Nig et al, 2020, Tani et al, 2023 ). In addition, different customs, socio- cultural expectations and legal obligations continue to emphasize that cooking is the woman’s responsibility in the family. Wolfson et al ( 2020 ) posits that cooking at home by mothers have some cognitive, social and emotional benefits. The author remarks that many elderly women become resistant to giving up cooking and relying on pre-made foods from children, grand children or house maids thereby predisposing themselves to different forms of kitchen injuries/hazards. Chukwuone et al (2018) opines that the incidence of kitchen accident increases exponentially with age, the incidence rate ranging from 30% for persons aged 65 years and above, and 50% for those within the ages of 80 years and above. According to the author, the forms of hazards or accidents that frequently occur in the kitchen includes; fire outbreak, burns from hot water or other liquids, knife/blender cuts, falls/slipping as a result of slippery tiles, electric shock, waist pain as a result of bad posture, choking from bleached oil/inhaling of poisonous smokes/burnt food and so on. In a study conducted in Ogun State, South west, Nigeria, using 500 respondents selected from different communities, Oladeji ( 2017 ) reveals that kitchen is a potentially dangerous place for elderly persons as greater percentage (42%) of respondents out of the total sample indicated having experienced one form of hazards or the other in the kitchen when compared with other apartments in the home such as, the sitting room, bathroom or staircase. The author also emphasized that most of the accidents or hazards experienced in the kitchen had serious consequences that resulted to loss of body parts, incapacitation and death. The declining physical functioning and frailty associated with ageing seems to be one of the major predisposing factors that promote kitchen injuries or hazards among older adults in many societies. Oludayo ( 2019 ) opines that cooking as one of the household chores is performed standing and constant movements (frequency of going out and standing time) with its associated stress and cognitive stimulus (thinking about the quality of the meal and meeting up with time) which the elderly ones cannot effectively cope with. In other words, the decline in the physical strength of the body following the increasing age of the individual may render one’s daily activities at home extremely difficult. Some of the age related disorders include; vision loss, hearing loss, osteoporosis, arthritis, loss of memory/dementia and so on (Ozalp, 2020 , WHO, 2022). Similarly, lack of maintenance of household appliances, over-use, carelessness and lack of knowledge/skills in handling these equipments/appliances could also form part of the predisposing factors to kitchen hazards for elderly mothers especially in the rural areas (Chukwuone et al, 2018). More so, individual’s level of education and exposure to the operational skills and use of household appliances could be another pre-disposing factors accountable for one’s involvement in most of the kitchen injuries or ability to enhance prevention strategies (Kim et al, 2022). It also appears that kitchen injuries or hazards among elderly mothers could result from inappropriate building design and socio-economic status of the individuals. Netra et al ( 2017 ) posits that people of lower socio-economic status living in poor are mostly placed at higher risk of kitchen injuries because of the poor housing conditions and lack of safety measures. In certain cases, the kitchen may have slippery floor, poor lighting, poor ventilation, inadequate spaces or very large space that may cause the individual to feel dizzy and fall while cooking (Ozalp, 2020 ). Nevertheless, most of the accidents sustained in the kitchen are hardly noticed or reported to appropriate authorities because most of the elderly women are not living with their children in addition to the fact that these accidents usually occur inside the house. Despite the increasing incidence of kitchen injuries and hazards sustained by many elderly women especially in Nigeria, not many studies have been conducted in this area especially in Igbo-Etiti Council Area of Enugu state so as to mount an effective surveillance system. The only related study in this area dwelt more on home makers strategies in managing home accidents which was not restricted to elderly women or those in rural areas. This study was therefore aimed at examining the perceived effect of kitchen hazards for elderly women living in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council of Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives of the study includes; (i) To ascertain the relationship between physical functioning/capacities and elderly women’s involvement in kitchen hazards (ii) To find out whether poor socio-economic conditions are part of the pre-disposing factor underlying elderly womens’ involvement in kitchen injuries/hazards (iii) To determine whether the structural design of the building is accountable to kitchen injuries for elderly women in Igbo-Etiti rural communities and (iv) To ascertain the relationship between operational skills/knowledge of the use of kitchen appliances/equipments and involvement in kitchen accidents by elderly women. 2. Literature Review Kitchen is one of the key areas in the home that continues to witness different activities related to meal preparation at every time of the day or night. Consequent to this, many equipments/appliances are found in the kitchen and which are related to food processing and preparation. Keswet and Anyakoha ( 2016 ) argues that in the process of executing these activities, elderly mothers could be trapped in one form of hazards or the other. Runyan et al (2005) opines that since the elderly women spend most of their time at home and accessing their food through the kitchen, there is a very high risk of their involvement in kitchen injuries and other forms of hazards especially at the age of 60s and above. In other words, age appears to be one of the underlying factors that could expose older adults to various forms of kitchen hazards. Similarly, Cigdem and Kara (2019) argues that since cooking activities require more energy and physical efforts/movement, majority of the elderly persons cannot fulfil it as individual’s physical and mental functioning deteriorates with increasing age. Most elderly women may loose their balance or fall after a long standing in the kitchen. Falls may result to permanent disability (fracture, brain or spinal chord injury) or death (Bekibele & Gureje, 2010). Equally, elderly individuals with poor vision (cataracts, glaucoma and other visual problems) may be unable to work effectively or prepare foods in the kitchen (Oladeji, 2017 ). Studies have also revealed that in many developed and developing countries across the globe, almost one-third of the elderly women do not prepare their food as a result of declining physical capacities (Albert, 2016 , Ozalp, 2020 , WHO, 2022). In another study conducted with elderly women aged 70 years and above in the United States, Cooper (2011) revealed that many of the women experienced fall in the process of cooking and performing other domestic chores because of their shaking health conditions, only few were able to discharge these duties unassisted and without falls. What this implies to is that individual’s health conditions could be a serious issue in the comprehensive assessment of elderly women’s predisposition to kitchen hazards. In addition to physical frailties of the individuals, the socio-economic status of the individual could be another factor capable of exposing them to kitchen hazards (Netra et al, 2017 ). The author revealed that in many rural and urban areas of most countries, the poor individuals rely more on fire-wood and charcoal oven for their cooking which can easily result to fire outbreak on the entire building. In most cases, this group do not have the money to install some safety devices or high technologically operated utensils/cooker, or buy kitchen clothes/shoes, hand glooves and other appliances that are more reliable in terms of fire outbreak (Keswat & Anyakoha, 2016). Some of these elderly mothers also use cooking pots with broken handles and which easily result to burns while others use dilapidated sink and thatched or grass roofed buildings that serve as kitchen because of poor financial standing. In the same vein, the housing structure or designs may pose a serious danger for older adults using the kitchen. This implies that the structural designs and construction of many buildings do not take into consideration the ageing process of the population especially in the kitchen apartment thereby exposing the older adults to some hazards. According to Ibrahim and Davies ( 2012 ), kitchen accounts for about 9.7% of total home accidents in most developing countries. For instance, inadequate lighting in the major areas of the kitchen and use of slippery tiles can result to falls (Fancy, 2022 ). The author argues that the kitchen floor tiles should be slip resistance and adequate lighting or lamps mounted in all the strategic areas. The essence is to prevent falls which seems to be the most frequently occurring forms of kitchen hazards and which is capable of putting the individual into permanent disability especially at old age. Ozalp ( 2020 ) opines that kitchen falls can result to serious fracture in the joint which could translate to morbidity/death. It is therefore expected that a suitable kitchen apartment should be designed in such a way that the size, shape, height and spacing of the kitchen equipments must comply with user’s body posture without bending or stretching movement (Ozalp, 2020 ). In other words, the user will be made to have free access to the shelve/cabinet, sink/washing basin, refrigerator, doors and other appliances with a well provided space and without much difficulties. Sahin and Erkal (2016) also remarks that many elderly women become easily tired and may feel dizzy in the kitchen with a very large space while cooking especially when the activities must have lasted for a long time. The authors however suggested that kitchen dimensions should be as short as possible with a standard height below the elbow of the user with the refrigerator and cabinet placed on the same line on a face-to-face position. Again, the operational skills or knowledge of the use of some kitchen appliances may go a long way in determining the degree of hazards that elderly mothers could be exposed to while using the kitchen. According to Ibrahim and Davies ( 2012 ), some kitchen injuries are sustained as a result of misuse or poor knowledge/skills on the use of kitchen appliances such as kerosene stove, charcoal oven, gas cylinder, micro wave, frying pan, blender, electric kettle, cuttlery and so on. Wiedinmyer et al (2017) further maintains that both individuals in the urban and rural centers who relies more on charcoal oven, fire wood or gas cylinder should be abreast with the technologies underlying each so as to avert some hazards during cooking or meal preparation. The importation and use of these time-saving appliances such as micro wave and gas cylinder, electric kettle, blender and other modern appliances in the rural areas has made necessary for elderly mothers to be educated on the precautionary measures needed during its uses. However, in certain situations, the older adults because of their low level of education may not be able to read or interpret the operating manual or booklet that provide the necessary guidelines and precautionary measures for use of the appliances (Chukwuone et al, 2018). This therefore spells out the need for proper orientation and practical demonstration regarding the use of some kitchen appliances for elderly women engaged in cooking. 3. Materials and Methods 3.1. Study Setting The study was conducted in Igbo-Etiti, a rural council area located in the southern part of Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The local government was created in 1976 and located between latitude 6040\\N and 7022\\E of the equator with a land mass of 325 square kilometers (Akukwe et al, 2024 ). The council area is made up of 10 districts which includes; Aku, Diogbe, Ekwegbe, Ikolo, Ochima, Ohebe/Ohodo, Onyohor, Ozalla, Udueme, and Ukehe. The council area has an estimated population of 400,099 as at 2024. Igbo is the major language spoken by the people, although English could be used in the formal events that involves people from other states or nations. The Federal Polytechnic Ohodo is located in this council area in addition to at least one secondary and primary schools in each of the communities. Agriculture forms the major occupation of the people although allied trades and other businesses are done in some parts of the council area. The choice of Igbo-Etiti as the study area was born out of the frequently reported cases of kitchen hazards among elderly women undergoing treatments in various hospitals and health centers across the state. 3.2. Study Design The study was a qualitative cross-sectional research design that focused mainly on elderly women within the ages of 60 years and above and residing in the area for at least six months. The essence of limiting participation status to six months was to ensure that visitors or those on few days business trips from urban centers were not involved. 3.3. Sampling Procedure A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select eligible participants in the study. The local government council area was clustered into two : Igbo Odo and Igbo Omaba which aligns with their traditional cultural identity. Systematic random sampling was used to select two autonomous communities from each of the clusters (Aku and Ukehe for Igbo Odo and Ohodo and Ekwegbe for Igbo Omaba). Thereafter, two villages or hamlets from each of the four autonomous communities were randomly chosen and house numbering conducted. Three participants were selected from each of the hamlets (ie 24 in the whole) using systematic random sampling. Participants were restricted to female members of the households (within the ages of 60 years and above). However, in a household where eligible participant were more than two, only the first two will be interviewed whereas in a household with no eligible participant should be skipped and the next household taken up. Qualitative method of data collection (In-depth Interview) was used to elicit information from participants on the thematic areas of the research. Informed consent of the participants were obtained and the principle of confidentiality maintained after explaining the purpose of the research and the procedure prior to the interview. 3.4. Data Collection Method In-depth interview (IDI) was used to gather data from participants. In the first stage, the socio-demographic profiles (age, marital status, religion, educational level and occupation) were ascertained followed by substantive issues of the research. Since the study was conducted in the rural communities of Enugu state, the interview was conducted in local language (Igbo) for proper understanding although English was equally employed in some cases. 3.5. Data Analysis The interviews were recorded using Infinix x657c, transcribed and then collated into text by the authors. The recordings were repeatedly played to ensure that no response was omitted. Data analysis was carried out by the authors by re-reading the transcripts, extracting significant quotes, coding frequently occurring/similar and meaningful statements, and then pooling the coded ideas into themes using thematic analysis. Again, all the transcripts were re-read once more and compared with the outcome of the analysis to ensure that the themes covered the contents of the text. Finally, in order to guarantee the privacy of participants, the actual names of participants were represented by simple alphabets. 4. Results Results of the thematic analysis identified five major themes related to the perceived effect of kitchen hazards experienced by elderly women in rural communities of Igbo-Etiti council area of Enugu state, South east, Nigeria. 4:1 Socio-demographic profiles of participants The socio-demographic features of participants shows the 14 (50%) of the total sample were within the ages of 60-65 years while 9(32.1%) were within the ages of 66-71 years leaving the remaining 5(17.9%) who were within the age range of 72 years and above. Similarly, a greater proportion (19 or 67.9%) of the participants were widowed whereas 9 (32.1%) were married and still living with their husbands. One of the implications of this age distribution of participants shows that women appear to enjoy higher life expectancy compared to the males. Participants’ educational level shows that majority (13 or 46.4%) were holders of Primary School Leaving certificates and Junior Secondary while 8 (28.6%) posses Senior Secondary certificates (SSCE/GCE) leaving the remaining 7 (25%) with NCE/Degree and above. For the mere fact that all participants were literate would contribute much on the way they handle various kitchen activities. Finally, 14 participants were retirees from public service while the remaining proportion (10) were into their private businesses. 4.2 Participants’ view on Kitchen hazards experienced in the recent time In this study, participants’ opinion on whether they have experienced any form of kitchen hazards in the recent time was sought. Having knowledge of the frequency of occurrence of such hazards like falls, cuts, burns and others in the kitchen will help in creating safe environment for the elderly mothers.One of the participants explained thus: There is no responsible woman who is hardworking and cook for the family that had never sustained or experienced one or two forms of hazards in the kitchen. I use firewood and charcoal oven and I can not remember the number of times I have had burns. Not quite long ago, I had a severe cut while trying to slice an unripe plantain. The cut was deep to such an extent that the bleeding continued until I got to a nearby patent medicine store for medication (P.8). Another participant shared her own experience this way: I have experienced Kitchen accident in my home for many times. It is a regular occurrence as long as you are a woman and play the domestic roles expected of a woman in the house. I do not remember the number of times I fall while cooking as a result of water sprayed on the floor. Similarly, many others within the neighborhood and other friends have had their own experiences. One of my friends cut her finger off entirely while slicing vegetables. She was admitted into a specialist hospital as it later developed and became cancerous (P.11). A participant who expressed a different view said, ‘ Kitchen hazard is a daily occurrence and is not prone to elderly mothers. Anybody can have kitchen accident at any point in time. One thing is for you to be careful and observe all the safety measures’ (P.2). 4.3: Relationships between the physical frailty of the individual and involvement in Kitchen hazards. Participants’ view was sought on whether deterioration in physiological functioning such as reduced muscle strength, vision/memory loss, inability to maintain a suitable balance and coordination were accountable to kitchen hazards experienced by elderly women living in the rural areas. One of the participants put it this way: Kitchen hazards or accidents are not only peculiar to old people. Anybody can be a victim, although older people are more prone to that. Some of us can no longer see well because of age .If I enter the kitchen without my medical lens, I may not be able to observe some spills and other smaller objects which are capable of causing falls or cuts. The only solution is for one to be very careful (P. 3). Another participant went further to say: Old age is one of the major factors that could result to different forms of kitchen accidents. Last two years, I nearly set myself ablaze. I picked a bottle of kerosene and sprayed it on the burner of the kerosene stove without knowing because of my eye defect. It was only God that saved my life (P. 6). In the opinion of another participant, who stated thus: I have arthritis. I once fell in the kitchen as I was cooking. As I was trying to get up I got burns on my two hands. It was an unforgettable experience. That is, it taught me a lesson on the need to be mindful of one’s health status as one engage in some of the kitchen activities. Many of us who are not living with our children have higher risks of getting involved in some of these accidents (P. 9). 4.4: Nature of housing and structural designs: The nature of apartment and structural designs could be among the factors capable of causing some forms of accidents for elderly mothers in the kitchen especially in the rural areas. In some cases, the location of the kitchen may be far from the store or not even in the same building in addition to inadequate lighting, slippery tiles, height of the cupboard and others. One of the participants commented this way: My kitchen is located outside our main building. It is always terrible when it is raining and one is cooking. I can remember fallen in two instances while trying to pick something from the store as everywhere was wet. Going to and from kitchen/store could also make one to feel dizzy. More so, I am always careful while walking in my kitchen because of the slippery tiles (P. 18). Similarly, another participant remarks: The height of the cupboard in my kitchen is very high such that I have to step on something before I could pick anything there. Sometimes ago, I was preparing my breakfast and I climbed up to pick an item from the cupboard and one of my legs slipped off to see myself on the ground. The waist pain I am suffering now is the result of that fall (P. 9). Another participant narrated her experience this way: Inadequate space is a serious problem. The dimensions of my kitchen appears to fall below what is expected of an ideal kitchen. As you are cooking , you see yourself sweating and may likely hit yourself against the wall or cupboard because of inadequate spaces (P. 1) 4.5 Poor knowledge and skills on the use of modern kitchen facilities/equipments. A great number of elderly women in many countries especially those residing in the rural areas seem to have poor knowledge and skills in the use of some kitchen equipments. This may have contributed to their exposure to a number of hazards in the kitchen. One of the participants shared her view this way: Last time, I had burns when I was trying to use the micro wave that my daughter sent to me. What we use here is mostly firewood and charcoal oven. I have also had pepper spilled over my face and the eyes as I was trying to use a blender because I didn’t know that I need to hold the top cover before grinding. We are not like the young ones that are used to all these modern appliances (P. 17). A participant who had a different view says, “Knowledge of how to use the appliances is not the issue, it all borders on trying to be careful as anybody can be a victim of kitchen hazards”. Another participant stated thus: I am more comfortable with the traditional appliances which I know that the rate of accidents resulting from handling them are not as high as these modern equipments. You cannot use kerosene stove to cook the food involving a large family. Some of these modern appliances are very fragile such that many people both young and old have lost their lives in trying to use them. We are just trying to imitate some of the developed countries without taking note of our peculiarities (P. 12). 5. Discussion of Findings The study examines the perceived effect of kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti, Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The study attempts to provide insights on the risk factors associated with kitchen hazards and its preventive measures for elderly women who are living without children or house maids. Research evidence has shown that the kitchen has been a theatre of accidents particularly among older adults in both the urban and rural areas (Shawon et al, 2012 , Tekin & Kara, 2019 ). Findings from the present study reveals that almost all the participants indicated having experienced one or two forms of kitchen hazards in the recent time. The most frequently occurring among these hazards according to participants’ opinion include, falls or slipping in the floor, cuts from knives or other sharp objects, electric shocks and burns from hot pots or liquid. This finding aligns with the view of Netra et al ( 2017 ) that kitchen hazards are more prevalent among elderly women in developing countries particularly those living in rural areas. Findings from the study also shows that deterioration and physical frailty of the elderly women contributes more to their involvement in kitchen hazards. Four of the participants confirmed that they had low vision which in several occasions had resulted to falls because they couldn’t easily detect or observe spills on the floor. One of the participants also recalled her experience on the Christmas day when she fell while cooking because she had arthritis in her feet and both hands had burns as she was struggling to get up. Netra et al ( 2017 ) in the literature opines that elderly mothers are prone to various forms of kitchen hazards because of their failing vision, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and slow movements. Participants’ view from the study also reveals that the nature of housing and structural designs forms another contributory factor to the increasing kitchen hazards among elderly women in most parts of Nigerian rural communities. Majority of the participants expressed their concerns on the poor spaces, tilling system, setting of the cupboard and water sink, and the location of the kitchen very far from the store which leads to unnecessary and exhaustive journey (walking to and fro) and accidents while cooking or undertaking other domestic chores in the kitchen. Some participants also revealed that in some cases one has to bend very low while cooking and which is not healthy at old age. Chukwuone et al (2018) remarks that in order to reduce the rate of casualties recorded in the kitchen on the part of elderly women, there is the need to have the structural design and its layout done in such a way that the wellbeing of the elderly is taken into consideration. Ibrahim ( 2012 ) also states that the design of the kitchen which neglects the needs of older individuals is bound to make the cooking tasks more difficult and risky. Another finding from the study reveals that inadequate knowledge or skills on the use of modern kitchen appliances or equipments have been responsible for elderly womens’ involvement in kitchen hazards. A great number of participants revealed that they were more comfortable with the use of firewood or charcoal ovens as against the modern gas cylinder, microwaves or electric cooker as they are too fragile and capable of putting the entire house on fire if not carefully handled. Participants revealed that many of them had sustained burns and scalds in an attempt to use the electric cooker, as they fail to understand that one shouldn’t touch it immediately after turning it off, since they usually retain heat for a while after use. Findings from the study therefore suggested that there is the need for all members of the household to be sensitized/educated or well informed on the use of some modern kitchen appliances such as microwaves, electric kettles and other gas operated equipments. In other words, the instructions in the manuals must be strictly adhered to. There is also the need to prioritize the wellbeing of the elderly mothers while embarking on any forms of structural designs for the kitchen and its layout. Keswet and Anyakoha ( 2016 ) emphasized that the kitchen is one of the potentially dangerous place which regularly claims the lives of many elderly mothers, hence adequate care must be taken to avert possible risk factors to this effect. 6. Implication of the Study The findings of the study reveals that majority of elderly women residing in rural communities of Igbo-Etiti council area of Enugu State especially those living without children or house help frequently experience different forms of kitchen hazards ranging from falls, burns, cuts from knives/sharp objects and others as they prepare their meals. Most of the hazards experienced by these elderly mothers according to the study findings emanates from decreasing functional abilities which results from the increasing age of the individual, poor knowledge of the application or use of some kitchen equipments/appliances, inappropriate housing designs and its layout that do not consider the needs of these elderly persons amongst others. The study therefore provides a foundation for the development of effective social work intervention or techniques required in attending to elderly persons involved in kitchen hazards and other forms of home accidents. Similarly, the information and knowledge derived from the study can be harnessed to form the premise around which policy instruments and educational curriculum could be articulated to provide home safety education and counselling for the elderly and other segments of the population. Policy emphasis in this direction will also help immensely in providing sufficient surveillance systems and precautionary measures for incidence related to kitchen hazards as there is no systematic recording of cases in this area especially in the rural communities. The establishment of a special unit in charge of home accidents/hazards in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will be a laudable step in tackling the risk factors underlying the incidence of kitchen hazards in both rural and urban areas. 7. Conclusion The increasing number of elderly women involved in different forms of kitchen hazard indicates that its sensitivity has been underrated by the government and policy makers, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. It is therefore necessary that current dwellings or housing structures aligns to the needs of older adults especially in kitchen areas. A greater awareness or adequate surveillance system and expanded educational programmes should be made with the Federal or state Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Women Affairs and Ministry of Education taking the lead on what constitute the risk factors so as to take the precautionary measures and enhance the wellbeing of older adults. Declarations Funding The author received no financial support for the research. Ethical approval The study was approved by the Research Review and Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin (UIL/FSS/2024/0518 Institutional Review Board Statement The study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Research Review and Ethics Committee of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin (No. UIL/FSS/2024/0518). Conflict of interest The author declared no existing conflict of interest with respect to the study. Consent for Publication Not applicable Human Ethics and consent to participate : Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants taking part in the In-depth Interview. Clinical trial : Not applicable Data Availability The data and material to this study were not publicly available due to data safety reasons but can be accessed from the author on reasonable demand. References Albert, A. (2016). Older people living alone at risk of malnutrition because they cant use kitchen safety. https://www.carehome.co.uk/newsletters.cfm. Akukwe, T.I., Mba, C.L. &Isiwu, G.R. (2024). Perceived effect of climate change on Agricultural productivity in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology , 10 (1), 39-50. Camara, J.J.D., Engler, R.D. & Fonseca, P.D.O. (2010). Analysis and ergonomics of houses for elderly people. Periodicum Biologorum , 112, 47-50. Chu, S. (2021). Caring for elderly parents: The role of daughters. Research , 615(1), 324-330. Cooper, R., Kuh, D., Cooper, C., Gale, C.R., Lawlor, D.A., Mathews, F., Hardy, R., Falcon, A. & Halcyon, S.T. (2011). Objective measures of physical capability and subsequent health: A systematic review. Age and Ageing , 40(1), 14-23. Fancy, L. (2022). Five most dangerous things in the kitchen for ageing adults. https://www.homecareassistancewinnipeg.ca. Gasparini, L., Alejo, J., Haimovich, F., Olivieri, S. & Tornarolli, L. (2007). Poverty among the elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean. CEDLAS . Ibrahim, N.I. & Davies, S. (2012). Ageing: Physical difficulties and safety in cooking tasks. Work, 41, 5152-5159. Keswet, L. & Anyakoha, E.U. (2016). Comparative analysis of sources of home accidents between two types of urban housing units in Plateau State, Nigeria. International Journal of Technical Research and Applications, 4(2), 130-135. Mbam, K.C. (2022). Ageing in Nigeria: A growing population of older adults requires the implementation of National Ageing policy. Gerontologist, 7, 49- 53. Netra, C., Ayesha, N. & Aswin, K. (2017). A cross-sectional study on domestic accidents in the urban field practice of private medical college, Davangere, Karnataka. International Journal of Community Medicine and public health , 4(9), 3354-3359. Oladeji, O.S. (2017). Home accidents: Effects on the physical and social wellbeing of the Aged. University of Ibadan Journal of Adult Education , 3, 57-69. Oludayo, T. (2019). Why Nigerian women in Oyo State use child domestic workers. The Conversation , 1. Ozalp, B.A. (2020). Determination of domestic kitchen characteristics for elderly Turkish women: A comprehensive ergonomics approach. Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology, 10, 53-57. Piedrahita, R., Kanyomse, E., Coffey, E., Hagar, Y., Verploeg, K., Weidinmyer, C., Dickinson, K., Oduro, A. & Hannigan, M. (2017). Exposure to carbon monoxide in a cookstove intervention in Northern Ghana. Journal of Indoor Air , 1 Plothner, M., Schmidt, K., De Jong, L., Zeidler, J. & Damm, K. (2019). Needs and preferences of informal caregivers regarding outpatient care for the elderly: A systematic literature review. BMC Geriatrics , 19(1), 1-222. Sahin, H. & Erikal, S. (2016). Evaluation of home accidents and falls behaviours of elderly. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics, 19, 195-201. Saxon, S.V. & Etten, M.I. (2002). Physical change and ageing: A guide for the helping profession (4th ed.). Springer . Shawon, S.R., Hossain, F.B., Rahman, M. & Ima, S.Z. (2012). Domestic accidents in rural community of Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study on the incidences and characteristics. Developing country studies , 2(7), 14-19. Sun, Y. (2014). The role of daughters in the Aged care in rural families in Waifang, Shandong. Theory Research , 56(12), 79-80. Tani, Y., Fujiwara, T., Anzai, T. & Kondo, K. (2023). Cooking skills, living alone and mortality: JAGES Cohort Study. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity , 20(131), 1 Tekin, S.S. & Kara, F. (2019). Incidence of home accidents in 65 years of age and older individuals and related factors. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics , 22(1), 38-47. Tong, C.E., Sims-Gould, J. & Martin-Mathews, A. (2016). Types and patterns of safety concerns in home care: Clients and family care givers perspectives. International Journal of Quality Health Care , 28(2), 214-220. United Nations (2022). World Population Prospects: Summary of results. https://www.un.org/development/desa.pd/files/wpp2022-summary-of-results.pdf. United Nations (2024). World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. Department of Economics and Social Affairs. Weidinmyer, C., Dickson, A., Piedrahita, R., Kanyomse, E., Coffey, E., Hannigan, M., Alirigia, R. & Oduro, A. (2017). Rural-Urban differences in cooking practices and exposure in Northern Ghana. Environmental Research Letters , 12, 065009. Wolfson, J., Kullgren, J., Singer, D., Kireh, M., Malani, P., Solway, E. & Leung, C. (2020). The joy of cooking and its benefits for older adults. University of Michigan National pool on healthy ageing. http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/155433 World Health Organization (2022). Ageing and health . WHO. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-6303858\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":454483684,\"identity\":\"878bd648-33e0-4b1b-94d4-293e8b3f2e2e\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Sunday Abonyi\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABCklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCRBhAMTsDQwMCQUMDGwgAR6itPAcAGoxIFoLmJEA1UtIC//s5mOPeQoY7Pkl35g9eGBgk88n3cD44G0bQ568Aw5L7hxLN+YxYEicOTvH3CDBIM2yTeYAs+HcNoZiwwM4rLmRYyYN1JJgcDvHTCLB4LABm0QCmzRvG0PixgbsOuShWuztb56Ba2H/jU+LAVQL4wYJHoQtzCAt83G4y/DOsTTJOQYSiTPOpJUBtaQBtSQ2S845J5G4AYcWudvNxyTe/LGx528/vE3yR4WNgfyM5IMf3pTZJM7H4TAQYOJBxA4IMILUSjAYHMCthfEHVmF5PLaMglEwCkbBiAIARDVO87HTpDAAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Ilorin\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Sunday\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Abonyi\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2025-03-25 12:38:20\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":92193080,\"identity\":\"293121c9-6a60-4992-91b1-ee2549f8d7e2\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2025-09-25 15:25:21\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":0,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":600142,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"manuscript.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6303858/v1/f4121fae-fe6e-404a-b918-b34b7be75a0c.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"Perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council, Enugu state, Nigeria\",\"fulltext\":[{\"header\":\"1. Introduction\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eAgeing is a global phenomenon associated with both biological and social realities. According to World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), ageing leads to demineralization of the bones, inverted thin/fat muscle relation with gradual reduction in muscular/ movement strength and culminating into high risk of disease and ultimately death. The elderly in many societies are seen as veritable source of wisdom or knowledge and as such are highly respected, revered as well as held in very high esteem by other members of the society (Oladeji, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR12\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e). The ongoing demographic change indicates that the number of older persons are increasing rapidly especially in sub-Saharan Africa, with women trying to out-number the males. According to the United Nations World Population Prospect (2022), women composed of about 55.7% of people aged 65 years and above globally, although, the figure is projected to drop to 54.5% by 2050 going by the progress in medical sciences which have given men more opportunities to live successfully and attain old age. In a report given by the United Nations Organization (UN, 2024), Europe and North America were have the highest proportion of older people (19%) of both male and female within the ages of 65 years and above among other nations of the world followed by Australia and New Zealand with 16.6% each while Africa recorded the least with 3.0%. Nigeria which is regarded as the most populous nation in Africa with the overall population of 226.5\\u0026nbsp;million is composed of 4.1% and 3.0% for older people within the ages of 55\\u0026ndash;64 and 65 and above respectively. Mbam (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR10\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2022\\u003c/span\\u003e) reveals that in Nigeria and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, a greater percentage of elderly population are found in the rural areas.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eModernization and development however seems to have brought some changes in such a way that many elderly women do not have people to assist them in meal preparation as a result of migration of the young ones from the rural to urban centers for employment and other socio-economic opportunities. Oladeji (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR12\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e) notes that in African extended family system, children are expected to provide and run errands for parents as well as assist in carrying out some domestic chores. The author noted that as a result of the depressing economic climate that had enveloped many countries, the effectiveness of these roles are being compromised. Although, children may continue to remit money, goods and other household needs to the elderly parents but such provisions may not be enough to reflect the traditional family system and kinship arrangements where children are expected to be around to give direct assistance and care to the elderly parents (Cohen \\u0026amp; Menken, 2006). Apart from providing companionship that is necessary for the smooth functioning of the household, the role of children and domestic helpers tend to save elderly mothers from stress and being overburdened with excess workloads. In Asia, China and many African countries, domestic chores such as sweeping, cooking, laundry works, childcare assistance and provision of other forms of informal services to the older adults were carried out by children/family members and relatives in the traditional family setting (Sun, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR20\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2014\\u003c/span\\u003e, Plothner et al, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR16\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2019\\u003c/span\\u003e).\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eMany elderly women are injured, disabled, die untimely or prone to other forms of hazards particularly in the process of cooking. Studies have also shown that many elderly women who do not have someone to help in meal preparation have increased risk of sustaining some injuries despite the fact that cooking the family meal is one of the essential role of a woman in the home (Pimouguet et al, 2016, Nig et al, 2020, Tani et al, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR21\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2023\\u003c/span\\u003e). In addition, different customs, socio- cultural expectations and legal obligations continue to emphasize that cooking is the woman\\u0026rsquo;s responsibility in the family. Wolfson et al (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR27\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e) posits that cooking at home by mothers have some cognitive, social and emotional benefits. The author remarks that many elderly women become resistant to giving up cooking and relying on pre-made foods from children, grand children or house maids thereby predisposing themselves to different forms of kitchen injuries/hazards.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eChukwuone et al (2018) opines that the incidence of kitchen accident increases exponentially with age, the incidence rate ranging from 30% for persons aged 65 years and above, and 50% for those within the ages of 80 years and above. According to the author, the forms of hazards or accidents that frequently occur in the kitchen includes; fire outbreak, burns from hot water or other liquids, knife/blender cuts, falls/slipping as a result of slippery tiles, electric shock, waist pain as a result of bad posture, choking from bleached oil/inhaling of poisonous smokes/burnt food and so on. In a study conducted in Ogun State, South west, Nigeria, using 500 respondents selected from different communities, Oladeji (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR12\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e) reveals that kitchen is a potentially dangerous place for elderly persons as greater percentage (42%) of respondents out of the total sample indicated having experienced one form of hazards or the other in the kitchen when compared with other apartments in the home such as, the sitting room, bathroom or staircase. The author also emphasized that most of the accidents or hazards experienced in the kitchen had serious consequences that resulted to loss of body parts, incapacitation and death.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe declining physical functioning and frailty associated with ageing seems to be one of the major predisposing factors that promote kitchen injuries or hazards among older adults in many societies. Oludayo (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR13\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2019\\u003c/span\\u003e) opines that cooking as one of the household chores is performed standing and constant movements (frequency of going out and standing time) with its associated stress and cognitive stimulus (thinking about the quality of the meal and meeting up with time) which the elderly ones cannot effectively cope with. In other words, the decline in the physical strength of the body following the increasing age of the individual may render one\\u0026rsquo;s daily activities at home extremely difficult. Some of the age related disorders include; vision loss, hearing loss, osteoporosis, arthritis, loss of memory/dementia and so on (Ozalp, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR14\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e, WHO, 2022). Similarly, lack of maintenance of household appliances, over-use, carelessness and lack of knowledge/skills in handling these equipments/appliances could also form part of the predisposing factors to kitchen hazards for elderly mothers especially in the rural areas (Chukwuone et al, 2018). More so, individual\\u0026rsquo;s level of education and exposure to the operational skills and use of household appliances could be another pre-disposing factors accountable for one\\u0026rsquo;s involvement in most of the kitchen injuries or ability to enhance prevention strategies (Kim et al, 2022).\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIt also appears that kitchen injuries or hazards among elderly mothers could result from inappropriate building design and socio-economic status of the individuals. Netra et al (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR11\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e) posits that people of lower socio-economic status living in poor are mostly placed at higher risk of kitchen injuries because of the poor housing conditions and lack of safety measures. In certain cases, the kitchen may have slippery floor, poor lighting, poor ventilation, inadequate spaces or very large space that may cause the individual to feel dizzy and fall while cooking (Ozalp, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR14\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e). Nevertheless, most of the accidents sustained in the kitchen are hardly noticed or reported to appropriate authorities because most of the elderly women are not living with their children in addition to the fact that these accidents usually occur inside the house.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eDespite the increasing incidence of kitchen injuries and hazards sustained by many elderly women especially in Nigeria, not many studies have been conducted in this area especially in Igbo-Etiti Council Area of Enugu state so as to mount an effective surveillance system. The only related study in this area dwelt more on home makers strategies in managing home accidents which was not restricted to elderly women or those in rural areas. This study was therefore aimed at examining the perceived effect of kitchen hazards for elderly women living in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council of Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives of the study includes; (i) To ascertain the relationship between physical functioning/capacities and elderly women\\u0026rsquo;s involvement in kitchen hazards (ii) To find out whether poor socio-economic conditions are part of the pre-disposing factor underlying elderly womens\\u0026rsquo; involvement in kitchen injuries/hazards (iii) To determine whether the structural design of the building is accountable to kitchen injuries for elderly women in Igbo-Etiti rural communities and (iv) To ascertain the relationship between operational skills/knowledge of the use of kitchen appliances/equipments and involvement in kitchen accidents by elderly women.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"2. Literature Review\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eKitchen is one of the key areas in the home that continues to witness different activities related to meal preparation at every time of the day or night. Consequent to this, many equipments/appliances are found in the kitchen and which are related to food processing and preparation. Keswet and Anyakoha (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR9\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2016\\u003c/span\\u003e) argues that in the process of executing these activities, elderly mothers could be trapped in one form of hazards or the other. Runyan et al (2005) opines that since the elderly women spend most of their time at home and accessing their food through the kitchen, there is a very high risk of their involvement in kitchen injuries and other forms of hazards especially at the age of 60s and above. In other words, age appears to be one of the underlying factors that could expose older adults to various forms of kitchen hazards.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eSimilarly, Cigdem and Kara (2019) argues that since cooking activities require more energy and physical efforts/movement, majority of the elderly persons cannot fulfil it as individual\\u0026rsquo;s physical and mental functioning deteriorates with increasing age. Most elderly women may loose their balance or fall after a long standing in the kitchen. Falls may result to permanent disability (fracture, brain or spinal chord injury) or death (Bekibele \\u0026amp; Gureje, 2010). Equally, elderly individuals with poor vision (cataracts, glaucoma and other visual problems) may be unable to work effectively or prepare foods in the kitchen (Oladeji, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR12\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e). Studies have also revealed that in many developed and developing countries across the globe, almost one-third of the elderly women do not prepare their food as a result of declining physical capacities (Albert, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR1\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2016\\u003c/span\\u003e, Ozalp, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR14\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e, WHO, 2022). In another study conducted with elderly women aged 70 years and above in the United States, Cooper (2011) revealed that many of the women experienced fall in the process of cooking and performing other domestic chores because of their shaking health conditions, only few were able to discharge these duties unassisted and without falls. What this implies to is that individual\\u0026rsquo;s health conditions could be a serious issue in the comprehensive assessment of elderly women\\u0026rsquo;s predisposition to kitchen hazards.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn addition to physical frailties of the individuals, the socio-economic status of the individual could be another factor capable of exposing them to kitchen hazards (Netra et al, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR11\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e). The author revealed that in many rural and urban areas of most countries, the poor individuals rely more on fire-wood and charcoal oven for their cooking which can easily result to fire outbreak on the entire building. In most cases, this group do not have the money to install some safety devices or high technologically operated utensils/cooker, or buy kitchen clothes/shoes, hand glooves and other appliances that are more reliable in terms of fire outbreak (Keswat \\u0026amp; Anyakoha, 2016). Some of these elderly mothers also use cooking pots with broken handles and which easily result to burns while others use dilapidated sink and thatched or grass roofed buildings that serve as kitchen because of poor financial standing.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn the same vein, the housing structure or designs may pose a serious danger for older adults using the kitchen. This implies that the structural designs and construction of many buildings do not take into consideration the ageing process of the population especially in the kitchen apartment thereby exposing the older adults to some hazards. According to Ibrahim and Davies (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR8\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2012\\u003c/span\\u003e), kitchen accounts for about 9.7% of total home accidents in most developing countries. For instance, inadequate lighting in the major areas of the kitchen and use of slippery tiles can result to falls (Fancy, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR6\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2022\\u003c/span\\u003e). The author argues that the kitchen floor tiles should be slip resistance and adequate lighting or lamps mounted in all the strategic areas. The essence is to prevent falls which seems to be the most frequently occurring forms of kitchen hazards and which is capable of putting the individual into permanent disability especially at old age. Ozalp (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR14\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e) opines that kitchen falls can result to serious fracture in the joint which could translate to morbidity/death. It is therefore expected that a suitable kitchen apartment should be designed in such a way that the size, shape, height and spacing of the kitchen equipments must comply with user\\u0026rsquo;s body posture without bending or stretching movement (Ozalp, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR14\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2020\\u003c/span\\u003e). In other words, the user will be made to have free access to the shelve/cabinet, sink/washing basin, refrigerator, doors and other appliances with a well provided space and without much difficulties. Sahin and Erkal (2016) also remarks that many elderly women become easily tired and may feel dizzy in the kitchen with a very large space while cooking especially when the activities must have lasted for a long time. The authors however suggested that kitchen dimensions should be as short as possible with a standard height below the elbow of the user with the refrigerator and cabinet placed on the same line on a face-to-face position.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eAgain, the operational skills or knowledge of the use of some kitchen appliances may go a long way in determining the degree of hazards that elderly mothers could be exposed to while using the kitchen. According to Ibrahim and Davies (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR8\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2012\\u003c/span\\u003e), some kitchen injuries are sustained as a result of misuse or poor knowledge/skills on the use of kitchen appliances such as kerosene stove, charcoal oven, gas cylinder, micro wave, frying pan, blender, electric kettle, cuttlery and so on. Wiedinmyer et al (2017) further maintains that both individuals in the urban and rural centers who relies more on charcoal oven, fire wood or gas cylinder should be abreast with the technologies underlying each so as to avert some hazards during cooking or meal preparation. The importation and use of these time-saving appliances such as micro wave and gas cylinder, electric kettle, blender and other modern appliances in the rural areas has made necessary for elderly mothers to be educated on the precautionary measures needed during its uses. However, in certain situations, the older adults because of their low level of education may not be able to read or interpret the operating manual or booklet that provide the necessary guidelines and precautionary measures for use of the appliances (Chukwuone et al, 2018). This therefore spells out the need for proper orientation and practical demonstration regarding the use of some kitchen appliances for elderly women engaged in cooking.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"3. Materials and Methods\",\"content\":\"\\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec4\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e \\u003ch2\\u003e3.1. Study Setting\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe study was conducted in Igbo-Etiti, a rural council area located in the southern part of Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The local government was created in 1976 and located between latitude 6040\\\\N and 7022\\\\E of the equator with a land mass of 325 square kilometers (Akukwe et al, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR2\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2024\\u003c/span\\u003e). The council area is made up of 10 districts which includes; Aku, Diogbe, Ekwegbe, Ikolo, Ochima, Ohebe/Ohodo, Onyohor, Ozalla, Udueme, and Ukehe. The council area has an estimated population of 400,099 as at 2024. Igbo is the major language spoken by the people, although English could be used in the formal events that involves people from other states or nations. The Federal Polytechnic Ohodo is located in this council area in addition to at least one secondary and primary schools in each of the communities. Agriculture forms the major occupation of the people although allied trades and other businesses are done in some parts of the council area. The choice of Igbo-Etiti as the study area was born out of the frequently reported cases of kitchen hazards among elderly women undergoing treatments in various hospitals and health centers across the state.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003c/div\\u003e \\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec5\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e \\u003ch2\\u003e3.2. Study Design\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe study was a qualitative cross-sectional research design that focused mainly on elderly women within the ages of 60 years and above and residing in the area for at least six months. The essence of limiting participation status to six months was to ensure that visitors or those on few days business trips from urban centers were not involved.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003c/div\\u003e \\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec6\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e \\u003ch2\\u003e3.3. Sampling Procedure\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eA multi-stage sampling technique was used to select eligible participants in the study. The local government council area was clustered into two : Igbo Odo and Igbo Omaba which aligns with their traditional cultural identity. Systematic random sampling was used to select two autonomous communities from each of the clusters (Aku and Ukehe for Igbo Odo and Ohodo and Ekwegbe for Igbo Omaba). Thereafter, two villages or hamlets from each of the four autonomous communities were randomly chosen and house numbering conducted. Three participants were selected from each of the hamlets (ie 24 in the whole) using systematic random sampling. Participants were restricted to female members of the households (within the ages of 60 years and above). However, in a household where eligible participant were more than two, only the first two will be interviewed whereas in a household with no eligible participant should be skipped and the next household taken up. Qualitative method of data collection (In-depth Interview) was used to elicit information from participants on the thematic areas of the research. Informed consent of the participants were obtained and the principle of confidentiality maintained after explaining the purpose of the research and the procedure prior to the interview.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003c/div\\u003e \\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec7\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e \\u003ch2\\u003e3.4. Data Collection Method\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn-depth interview (IDI) was used to gather data from participants. In the first stage, the socio-demographic profiles (age, marital status, religion, educational level and occupation) were ascertained followed by substantive issues of the research. Since the study was conducted in the rural communities of Enugu state, the interview was conducted in local language (Igbo) for proper understanding although English was equally employed in some cases.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003c/div\\u003e \\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec8\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e \\u003ch2\\u003e3.5. Data Analysis\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe interviews were recorded using Infinix x657c, transcribed and then collated into text by the authors. The recordings were repeatedly played to ensure that no response was omitted. Data analysis was carried out by the authors by re-reading the transcripts, extracting significant quotes, coding frequently occurring/similar and meaningful statements, and then pooling the coded ideas into themes using thematic analysis. Again, all the transcripts were re-read once more and compared with the outcome of the analysis to ensure that the themes covered the contents of the text. Finally, in order to guarantee the privacy of participants, the actual names of participants were represented by simple alphabets.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003c/div\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"4. Results\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eResults of the thematic analysis identified five major themes related to the perceived effect of kitchen hazards experienced by elderly women in rural communities of Igbo-Etiti council area of Enugu state, South east, Nigeria.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003e4:1 \\u0026nbsp; \\u0026nbsp;Socio-demographic profiles of participants\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe socio-demographic features of participants shows the 14 (50%) of the total sample were within the ages of 60-65 years while 9(32.1%) were within the ages of 66-71 years leaving the remaining 5(17.9%) who were within the age range of 72 years and above. Similarly, a greater proportion \\u0026nbsp;(19 or 67.9%) \\u0026nbsp; of the participants were widowed whereas 9 (32.1%) were married and still living with their husbands. One of the implications of this age distribution of participants shows that women appear to enjoy higher life expectancy compared to the males. \\u0026nbsp; Participants’ educational level shows that majority (13 or 46.4%) were holders of Primary School Leaving certificates and Junior Secondary while 8 (28.6%) posses Senior Secondary certificates (SSCE/GCE) leaving the remaining 7 (25%) with NCE/Degree and above. For the mere fact that all participants were literate would contribute much on the way they handle various kitchen activities. Finally, 14 participants were retirees from public service while the remaining proportion (10) were into their private businesses.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003e4.2 \\u0026nbsp; Participants’ view on Kitchen hazards experienced in the recent time\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eIn this study, participants’ opinion on whether they have experienced any form of kitchen hazards in the recent time was sought. Having knowledge of the frequency of occurrence of such hazards like falls, cuts, burns and others in the kitchen will help in creating safe environment for the elderly mothers.One of the participants explained thus:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThere is no responsible woman who is hardworking and cook \\u0026nbsp;for the family that had never sustained or experienced one or two forms of hazards in the kitchen. I use firewood and charcoal oven and I can not remember the number of times I have had burns. Not quite long ago, I had a severe cut while trying to slice an unripe plantain. The cut was deep to such an extent that the bleeding continued until I got to a nearby patent medicine store for medication (P.8).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eAnother participant shared her own experience this way:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eI have experienced Kitchen accident in my home for many times. It is a regular occurrence as long as you are a woman and play the domestic roles expected of a woman \\u0026nbsp;in the house. I do not remember the number of times I fall while cooking as a result of water sprayed on the floor. Similarly, many others within the neighborhood \\u0026nbsp;and other friends have had their own experiences. One of my friends cut her finger off entirely while slicing vegetables. She was admitted into a specialist hospital as it later developed and became cancerous (P.11).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eA participant who expressed a different view said, ‘ Kitchen hazard is a daily occurrence and is not prone to elderly mothers. Anybody can have kitchen accident at any point in time. One thing is for you to be careful and observe all the safety measures’ (P.2).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e4.3: \\u003cstrong\\u003eRelationships between the physical frailty of the individual and involvement in Kitchen hazards.\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eParticipants’ view was sought on whether deterioration in physiological functioning such as reduced muscle strength, vision/memory loss, inability to maintain a suitable balance and coordination were accountable to kitchen hazards experienced by elderly women living in the rural areas. One of the participants put it this way:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eKitchen hazards or accidents are not only peculiar to old people. Anybody can be a victim, although older people are more prone to that. Some of us can no longer see well because of age .If I enter the kitchen without my medical lens, I may not be able to observe some spills and other smaller objects which are capable of causing falls or cuts. The only solution is for one to be very careful (P. 3).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eAnother participant went further to say:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eOld age is one of the major factors that could result to different forms of kitchen accidents. Last two years, I nearly set myself ablaze. I picked a bottle of kerosene and sprayed it on the burner of the kerosene stove without knowing because of my eye defect. It was only God that saved my life (P. 6).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eIn the opinion of another participant, who stated thus:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eI have arthritis. I once fell in the kitchen as I was cooking. As I was trying to get up I got burns on my two hands. It was an unforgettable experience. That is, it taught me a lesson on the need to be mindful of one’s \\u0026nbsp;health status as one engage in some of the kitchen activities. Many of us who are not living with our children have higher risks of getting involved in some of these accidents (P. 9).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003e4.4: Nature of housing and structural designs:\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/strong\\u003eThe nature of apartment and structural designs could be among the factors capable of causing some forms of accidents for elderly mothers in the kitchen especially in the rural areas. In some cases, the location of the kitchen may be far from the store or not even in the same building in addition to inadequate lighting, slippery tiles, height of the cupboard \\u0026nbsp;and others. One of the participants commented this way:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eMy kitchen is located outside our main building. It is always terrible when it is raining and one is cooking. I can remember fallen in two instances while trying to pick something from the store as everywhere was wet. Going to and from kitchen/store could also make one to feel dizzy. More so, I am always careful while walking in my kitchen because of the slippery tiles (P. 18).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eSimilarly, another participant remarks:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe height of the cupboard in my kitchen is very high such that I have to step on something before I could pick anything there. Sometimes ago, I was preparing my breakfast and I climbed up \\u0026nbsp;to pick an item from the cupboard and one of my legs slipped off to see myself on the ground. The waist pain I am suffering now is the result of that fall (P. 9).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eAnother participant narrated her experience this way:\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eInadequate space is a serious problem. The dimensions of my kitchen appears to fall below what is expected of an ideal kitchen. As you are cooking , you see yourself sweating and may likely hit yourself against the wall or cupboard because of inadequate spaces (P. 1)\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003e4.5 \\u0026nbsp; Poor knowledge and skills on the use of modern kitchen facilities/equipments.\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eA great number of elderly women in many countries especially those residing in the rural areas seem to have poor knowledge and skills in the use of some kitchen equipments. This may have contributed to their exposure to a number of hazards in the kitchen. One of the participants shared her view this way:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eLast time, I had burns when I was trying to use the micro wave that my daughter sent to me. What we use here is mostly firewood and charcoal oven. I have also had pepper spilled over my face and the \\u0026nbsp;eyes as I was trying to use a blender because I didn’t know that I need to hold the top cover before grinding. We are not like the young ones that are used to all these modern appliances (P. 17).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eA participant who had a different view says, “Knowledge of how to use the appliances is not the issue, it all borders on trying to be careful as anybody can be a victim of kitchen hazards”.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eAnother participant stated thus:\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eI am more comfortable with the traditional appliances which I know that the rate of accidents resulting from handling them are not as high as these modern equipments. You cannot use kerosene stove to cook the food involving a large family. \\u0026nbsp;Some of these modern appliances are very fragile such that many people both young and old have lost their lives in trying to use them. We are just trying to imitate some of the developed countries without taking note of our peculiarities (P. 12).\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"5. Discussion of Findings\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe study examines the perceived effect of kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti, Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The study attempts to provide insights on the risk factors associated with kitchen hazards and its preventive measures for elderly women who are living without children or house maids. Research evidence has shown that the kitchen has been a theatre of accidents particularly among older adults in both the urban and rural areas (Shawon et al, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR19\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2012\\u003c/span\\u003e, Tekin \\u0026amp; Kara, \\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR22\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2019\\u003c/span\\u003e).\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eFindings from the present study reveals that almost all the participants indicated having experienced one or two forms of kitchen hazards in the recent time. The most frequently occurring among these hazards according to participants\\u0026rsquo; opinion include, falls or slipping in the floor, cuts from knives or other sharp objects, electric shocks and burns from hot pots or liquid. This finding aligns with the view of Netra et al (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR11\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e) that kitchen hazards are more prevalent among elderly women in developing countries particularly those living in rural areas.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eFindings from the study also shows that deterioration and physical frailty of the elderly women contributes more to their involvement in kitchen hazards. Four of the participants confirmed that they had low vision which in several occasions had resulted to falls because they couldn\\u0026rsquo;t easily detect or observe spills on the floor. One of the participants also recalled her experience on the Christmas day when she fell while cooking because she had arthritis in her feet and both hands had burns as she was struggling to get up. Netra et al (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR11\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2017\\u003c/span\\u003e) in the literature opines that elderly mothers are prone to various forms of kitchen hazards because of their failing vision, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and slow movements.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eParticipants\\u0026rsquo; view from the study also reveals that the nature of housing and structural designs forms another contributory factor to the increasing kitchen hazards among elderly women in most parts of Nigerian rural communities. Majority of the participants expressed their concerns on the poor spaces, tilling system, setting of the cupboard and water sink, and the location of the kitchen very far from the store which leads to unnecessary and exhaustive journey (walking to and fro) and accidents while cooking or undertaking other domestic chores in the kitchen. Some participants also revealed that in some cases one has to bend very low while cooking and which is not healthy at old age. Chukwuone et al (2018) remarks that in order to reduce the rate of casualties recorded in the kitchen on the part of elderly women, there is the need to have the structural design and its layout done in such a way that the wellbeing of the elderly is taken into consideration. Ibrahim (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR8\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2012\\u003c/span\\u003e) also states that the design of the kitchen which neglects the needs of older individuals is bound to make the cooking tasks more difficult and risky.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eAnother finding from the study reveals that inadequate knowledge or skills on the use of modern kitchen appliances or equipments have been responsible for elderly womens\\u0026rsquo; involvement in kitchen hazards. A great number of participants revealed that they were more comfortable with the use of firewood or charcoal ovens as against the modern gas cylinder, microwaves or electric cooker as they are too fragile and capable of putting the entire house on fire if not carefully handled. Participants revealed that many of them had sustained burns and scalds in an attempt to use the electric cooker, as they fail to understand that one shouldn\\u0026rsquo;t touch it immediately after turning it off, since they usually retain heat for a while after use.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eFindings from the study therefore suggested that there is the need for all members of the household to be sensitized/educated or well informed on the use of some modern kitchen appliances such as microwaves, electric kettles and other gas operated equipments. In other words, the instructions in the manuals must be strictly adhered to. There is also the need to prioritize the wellbeing of the elderly mothers while embarking on any forms of structural designs for the kitchen and its layout. Keswet and Anyakoha (\\u003cspan citationid=\\\"CR9\\\" class=\\\"CitationRef\\\"\\u003e2016\\u003c/span\\u003e) emphasized that the kitchen is one of the potentially dangerous place which regularly claims the lives of many elderly mothers, hence adequate care must be taken to avert possible risk factors to this effect.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"6. Implication of the Study\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe findings of the study reveals that majority of elderly women residing in rural communities of Igbo-Etiti council area of Enugu State especially those living without children or house help frequently experience different forms of kitchen hazards ranging from falls, burns, cuts from knives/sharp objects and others as they prepare their meals. Most of the hazards experienced by these elderly mothers according to the study findings emanates from decreasing functional abilities which results from the increasing age of the individual, poor knowledge of the application or use of some kitchen equipments/appliances, inappropriate housing designs and its layout that do not consider the needs of these elderly persons amongst others. The study therefore provides a foundation for the development of effective social work intervention or techniques required in attending to elderly persons involved in kitchen hazards and other forms of home accidents. Similarly, the information and knowledge derived from the study can be harnessed to form the premise around which policy instruments and educational curriculum could be articulated to provide home safety education and counselling for the elderly and other segments of the population. Policy emphasis in this direction will also help immensely in providing sufficient surveillance systems and precautionary measures for incidence related to kitchen hazards as there is no systematic recording of cases in this area especially in the rural communities. The establishment of a special unit in charge of home accidents/hazards in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will be a laudable step in tackling the risk factors underlying the incidence of kitchen hazards in both rural and urban areas.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"7. Conclusion\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe increasing number of elderly women involved in different forms of kitchen hazard indicates that its sensitivity has been underrated by the government and policy makers, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. It is therefore necessary that current dwellings or housing structures aligns to the needs of older adults especially in kitchen areas. A greater awareness or adequate surveillance system and expanded educational programmes should be made with the Federal or state Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Women Affairs and Ministry of Education taking the lead on what constitute the risk factors so as to take the precautionary measures and enhance the wellbeing of older adults.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Declarations\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eFunding\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe author received no financial support for the research.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eEthical approval\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe study was approved by the Research Review \\u0026nbsp; and Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin (UIL/FSS/2024/0518\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eInstitutional Review Board Statement\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Research Review and Ethics Committee of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin (No. UIL/FSS/2024/0518).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003e\\u0026nbsp;Conflict of interest\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe author declared no existing conflict of interest with respect to the study.\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eConsent for Publication\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eNot applicable\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eHuman Ethics and consent to participate\\u003c/strong\\u003e: Verbal informed consent was obtained from all \\u0026nbsp; participants taking part in the In-depth Interview.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eClinical trial\\u003c/strong\\u003e: Not applicable\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eData Availability\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe data and \\u0026nbsp;material to this study were not publicly available due to data safety reasons but can be accessed from the author on reasonable demand.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"References\",\"content\":\"\\u003col\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eAlbert, A. (2016). Older people living alone at risk of malnutrition because they cant use kitchen safety. https://www.carehome.co.uk/newsletters.cfm.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eAkukwe, T.I., Mba, C.L. \\u0026amp;Isiwu, G.R. (2024). Perceived effect of climate change on Agricultural productivity in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria.\\u003cem\\u003e\\u0026nbsp;FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology\\u003c/em\\u003e, 10 (1), 39-50.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eCamara, J.J.D., Engler, R.D. \\u0026amp; Fonseca, P.D.O. (2010). Analysis and ergonomics of houses for elderly people. \\u003cem\\u003ePeriodicum Biologorum\\u003c/em\\u003e, 112, 47-50.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eChu, S. (2021). Caring for elderly parents: The role of daughters. \\u003cem\\u003eResearch\\u003c/em\\u003e, 615(1), 324-330.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eCooper, R., Kuh, D., Cooper, C., Gale, C.R., Lawlor, D.A., Mathews, F., Hardy, R., Falcon, A. \\u0026amp; Halcyon, S.T. (2011). Objective measures of physical capability and subsequent health: A systematic review. \\u003cem\\u003eAge and Ageing\\u003c/em\\u003e, 40(1), 14-23.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eFancy, L. (2022). Five most dangerous things in the kitchen for ageing adults. https://www.homecareassistancewinnipeg.ca.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eGasparini, L., Alejo, J., Haimovich, F., Olivieri, S. \\u0026amp; Tornarolli, L. (2007). Poverty among the elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean. \\u003cem\\u003eCEDLAS\\u003c/em\\u003e.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eIbrahim, N.I. \\u0026amp; Davies, S. (2012). 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Evaluation of home accidents and falls behaviours of elderly. \\u003cem\\u003eTurkish Journal of Geriatrics,\\u003c/em\\u003e 19, 195-201.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eSaxon, S.V. \\u0026amp; Etten, M.I. (2002). Physical change and ageing: A guide for the helping profession (4th ed.). \\u003cem\\u003eSpringer\\u003c/em\\u003e.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eShawon, S.R., Hossain, F.B., Rahman, M. \\u0026amp; Ima, S.Z. (2012). Domestic accidents in rural community of Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study on the incidences and characteristics. \\u003cem\\u003eDeveloping country studies\\u003c/em\\u003e, 2(7), 14-19.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eSun, Y. (2014). The role of daughters in the Aged care in rural families in Waifang, Shandong. \\u003cem\\u003eTheory Research\\u003c/em\\u003e, 56(12), 79-80.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eTani, Y., Fujiwara, T., Anzai, T. \\u0026amp; Kondo, K. (2023). Cooking skills, living alone and mortality: JAGES Cohort Study. \\u003cem\\u003eInternational Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity\\u003c/em\\u003e, 20(131), 1\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eTekin, S.S. \\u0026amp; Kara, F. (2019). Incidence of home accidents in 65 years of age and older individuals and related factors. \\u003cem\\u003eTurkish Journal of Geriatrics\\u003c/em\\u003e, 22(1), 38-47.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eTong, C.E., Sims-Gould, J. \\u0026amp; Martin-Mathews, A. (2016). Types and patterns of safety concerns in home care: Clients and family care givers perspectives. \\u003cem\\u003eInternational Journal of Quality Health Care\\u003c/em\\u003e, 28(2), 214-220.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eUnited Nations (2022). World Population Prospects: Summary of results. https://www.un.org/development/desa.pd/files/wpp2022-summary-of-results.pdf.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eUnited Nations (2024). \\u003cem\\u003eWorld Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision.\\u003c/em\\u003e Department of Economics and Social Affairs.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eWeidinmyer, C., Dickson, A., Piedrahita, R., Kanyomse, E., Coffey, E., Hannigan, M., Alirigia, R. \\u0026amp; Oduro, A. (2017). Rural-Urban differences in cooking practices and exposure in Northern Ghana. \\u003cem\\u003eEnvironmental Research Letters\\u003c/em\\u003e, 12, 065009.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eWolfson, J., Kullgren, J., Singer, D., Kireh, M., Malani, P., Solway, E. \\u0026amp; Leung, C. (2020). The joy of cooking and its benefits for older adults. University of Michigan National pool on healthy ageing. http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/155433\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eWorld Health Organization (2022). \\u003cem\\u003eAgeing and health\\u003c/em\\u003e. WHO.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n\\u003c/ol\\u003e\"}],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":true,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":true,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":false,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":false,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true},\"keywords\":\"Perceived effect, Kitchen, Hazards, Elderly women, Children\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe study aims to examine the perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Council Area of \\u0026nbsp;Enugu State, South east, Nigeria. The study adopted qualitative cross-sectional research design with In-depth Interview administered to 24 participants within the ages of 60 and above and resident in the area for at least six months prior to commencement of the study. Data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from the study reveals that the major forms of hazards commonly experienced by participants include; falls, cuts, burns, electric shocks and others. Deteriorating physical functioning, low socio-economic status, inappropriate housing designs, low educational backgrounds or poor knowledge/skills on application of modern kitchen equipments amongst others were revealed as potential risk factors in the self determination of elderly women to carry out kitchen activities. The study concludes that issues related to Kitchen hazards are not given desired attention in many rural areas of Nigeria and other developing countries. It was therefore recommended that adequate surveillance system and expanded educational programmes be undertaken by various public institutions in addition to making the current kitchen area to align with the needs of older adults.\\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"manuscriptTitle\":\"Perceived effect of Kitchen hazards for elderly women living without children in the rural areas of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Council, Enugu state, Nigeria\",\"msid\":\"\",\"msnumber\":\"\",\"nonDraftVersions\":[{\"code\":1,\"date\":\"2025-05-13 04:04:12\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6303858/v1\",\"editorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"communityComments\",\"content\":0}],\"status\":\"published\",\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true}}],\"origin\":\"\",\"ownerIdentity\":\"8a6676ba-f29f-4c49-b916-9eb7a499a619\",\"owner\":[],\"postedDate\":\"May 13th, 2025\",\"published\":true,\"recentEditorialEvents\":[],\"rejectedJournal\":[],\"revision\":\"\",\"amendment\":\"\",\"status\":\"posted\",\"subjectAreas\":[],\"tags\":[],\"updatedAt\":\"2025-09-25T15:24:56+00:00\",\"versionOfRecord\":[],\"versionCreatedAt\":\"2025-05-13 04:04:12\",\"video\":\"\",\"vorDoi\":\"\",\"vorDoiUrl\":\"\",\"workflowStages\":[]},\"version\":\"v1\",\"identity\":\"rs-6303858\",\"journalConfig\":\"researchsquare\"},\"__N_SSP\":true},\"page\":\"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]\",\"query\":{\"redirect\":\"/article/rs-6303858\",\"identity\":\"rs-6303858\",\"version\":[\"v1\"]},\"buildId\":\"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd\",\"isFallback\":false,\"isExperimentalCompile\":false,\"dynamicIds\":[84888],\"gssp\":true,\"scriptLoader\":[]}","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}