Injury Prevention Messages Research Articles

Victim blaming in police road injury prevention messages? A case of bicycle helmets

IntroductionIn recent years, the way in which police and the media report on road crashes, especially those involving cyclists, has received increased attention from both researchers and the general public. They are often accused of engaging in victim blaming. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived level of victim blaming in six hypothetical scenarios that include a preventive measure communicated by police. Our main focus was on the bicycle helmet scenario, since discussions about bicycle helmets produce a lot of emotional responses. MethodsWe collected survey data from two samples: a representative sample of Finnish residents older than 17 years (N=1207) and a convenience sample of Finnish traffic safety experts (N=61). ResultsOverall victim blaming ratings were low in both samples. Education seems to be an important predictor, in that more educated respondents gave lower ratings. In the bicycle helmet scenario, cycling exposure was positively related to the perceived victim blaming ratings. ConclusionsWe conclude that a preventive measure aimed at potential future road crash victims will not be perceived as victim blaming if it also addresses those responsible for a crash. However, it seems there will always be groups, sub-groups, and individuals who may perceive such messages as victim blaming. Thus, constructing a preventive message which will not be perceived as victim blaming represents a challenge.

Self-Reported Usage of Safety Equipment Provided Through a Community Partnership Approach to Injury Prevention in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Previous studies have shown that educational programs in conjunction with provision of free or low-cost safety equipment increases the likelihood of parents changing behaviors at home. This project surveyed caregivers in the pediatric emergency department (ED) about safety behaviors before and after provision of education and safety equipment related to medication storage, firearm storage, and drowning. A convenience sample of families presenting to the ED for any complaint with a child of any age were approached for participation in this feasibility study. Exclusion criteria included patients presenting for a high acuity problem (Emergency Severity Index 1 or 2) and non-English-speaking caregivers. Enrollment, surveys, and educational intervention were performed by the graduate student investigator from the School of Public Health. Participants were surveyed regarding presence of firearms and medications within the home and their storage practices. Additional questions included relationship to the patient, number and age of children younger than 18 years in the home, and zip code of residence. Educational handouts were reviewed, and participants were provided with a medication lock box, trigger lock, toilet lock, and/or pool watcher tag as indicated by answers given to the survey questions. Process measures were collected for number of products given out, number of children potentially affected by the intervention, and time spent by the investigator. Follow-up calls assessed use of the products provided. The student investigator spent a total of 180 hours and enrolled 357 caregivers accounting for 843 children. Fifty-seven percent of the participants answered the follow-up phone call. Only 9% initially reported that they stored medications in a locked or latched place. Medication lock boxes were given to 316 participants. On follow-up, 88% of those who received a lock box reported using it to store medications and 86% reported satisfaction with the lock box and how it worked. Of the 161 participants who admitted to gun ownership, 45% reported storing their guns locked and unloaded. Of those who reported unsafe manners of gun storage, 96% also reported unsafe manners of medication storage. Although only 161 participants endorsed gun ownership, 236 participants took a gun lock when offered. At follow-up, 66% of participants had used the gun lock and 67% of participants who took the gun lock reported satisfaction with the device. For water safety, 195 toilet latches and 275 drowning prevention lanyards were provided. On follow-up, 48% of those who had received a toilet latch were using it and 62% reported satisfaction with the device. Data were not collected on use of or satisfaction with the drowning prevention lanyards. Families often report unsafe home storage of medications and firearms, which together account for a large amount of morbidity and mortality in pediatrics. Drowning risk for young children is ubiquitous in the home setting, and low rates of use of home safety devices indicates need for further education and outreach on making the home environment safe. Despite relying on self-reported behaviors and the risk of reporting bias skewing the data, the behaviors reported in the preintervention survey were still very unsafe, suggesting that children may have a much higher risk of injury in the actual home environments. The ED is traditionally thought of as a place to receive care when injuries happen, but any encounter with families should be seen as an opportunity for injury prevention messaging. Partnering with a local school of public health and other community resources can result in the establishment of a low-cost, consistent, and effective injury prevention program in the pediatric ED that reaches a large number of individuals without the added burden of additional tasks that take time away from already busy ED providers and staff.

Sledding while towed behind motorized vehicles associates with more severe and lethal injuries☆

IntroductionOur institution has recently experienced an increase in sledding-related injuries, particularly when towed behind motorized vehicles. The purpose of this study was to characterize injury severity and clinical outcomes between pediatric patients who sustain injuries owing to motorized sledding accidents to aid in injury prevention messaging. MethodsThis retrospective study queried all patients who presented with a sledding-related injury to a single ACS-verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center located in the Southeastern United States between 01/2015 and 01/2022. Demographics, injury details, and clinical outcomes were compared between two groups: patients towed behind a motorized vehicle (MOTOR) and those who were not (GRAVITY). ResultsOf the 67 patients included in our analysis, 15 (22%) were in the MOTOR group. Patients in the MOTOR group presented with significantly higher injury severity (ISS) and lower Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores. Additionally, patients in this MOTOR group more often received a blood transfusion and intubation, had longer intensive care and overall hospital lengths of stay, and incurred higher hospital costs. In a multivariate analysis, the use of a motorized vehicle to sled was independently associated with increased ISS (OR: 9.7, 95% CI 1.9–17.5; p = 0.02). Two deaths occurred after sledding while being towed behind a motorized vehicle. ConclusionChildren experiencing sledding accidents while being towed by motorized vehicles sustain significantly more severe injuries and require more intensive treatments that together lead to increased hospital costs. These findings provide the framework for community educational initiatives and injury prevention measures to mitigate risk among children engaged in sledding. Level of evidenceIV retrospective cohort study.

A Year of Child Injury Prevention on Instagram

Injury is the leading cause of death for children but little is known about what types of injury prevention messages are communicated on Instagram. Conducted in the United States, the aim of this study was to better understand child injury prevention messages on Instagram to develop recommendations for the future. Informed by Social Cognitive Theory, a quantitative content analysis was conducted on all Instagram posts from selected organizations from May 2018 through April 2019. Of the 818 injury prevention posts, almost all included an image (575, 70%) or video (211, 26%). Of the 575 images, 245 (42.46%) had in image that did not match the topic of the post. Regarding injury prevention recommendations, 579 posts (71%) provided a clear action that parents should take. For these posts, 115 (20%) had an image that communicated the desired safety recommendation, but many more (285, 50%) did not; in 23 cases it was not clear if there was a match or not. There are missed opportunities for child health and injury organizations to reach parents and caregivers through Instagram. Posts made during the study period often lacked specificity about action-oriented measures and failed to utilize images that demonstrated the recommended practices. Organizations posting on Instagram and other social media platforms should provide clear action tips and utilize images that depict child injury prevention recommendations.

Understanding Infants' In-Home Injuries: Context and Correlates.

Infancy is a time of elevated risk of injury. Past research has focused mostly on the type of injuries, leaving many gaps in knowledge about contextual information that could aid in injury prevention planning. In this longitudinal study, a participant-event recording method was used in which mothers tracked their infants' home injuries through three motor development stages (sitting up independently, crawling, and walking). A contextual analysis elucidated where injuries occurred, their type and severity, the infant's and parent's behaviors at the time, if the infant had done the risk behavior before and been injured, the level of supervision, and the nature of any safety precautions parents implemented following these injuries. Injuries occurred as often in play as in nonplay areas and were due to physically-active nonplay activities more so than play activities; mothers were often doing chores. Bumps and bruises were the most common types of injuries. As infants became more mobile, supervision scores declined and injury severity scores increased. Infants had done the risk behavior leading to injury previously about 60% of the time, with higher scores associated with parents implementing fewer preventive actions in response to injury. When mothers did implement a safety precaution, greater injury severity was associated with more modifications to the environment and increased supervision; teaching about safety was infrequent. Implications of these results for injury prevention messaging are discussed.

JA:2021-24. Telling the Story – Using Storytelling to Disseminate Agricultural Safety and Health Messaging

ABSTRACT Purpose: Narrative is perhaps the most basic mode of human interaction and a fundamental way of delivering knowledge. Narratives influence attitudes and change behaviors. NIOSH-funded agricultural safety and health centers including the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH), the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH), the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH), and the National Farm Medicine Center are collaborating on a translation activity to convey the story of agricultural safety. While statistics and numbers are important to identify injury trends and emerging issues related to workplace health and safety, the Telling the Story Project (TTS) takes a closer look, creating injury prevention messages that highlight personal stories based on first-hand experiences. Methods: Research indicates that farmers are more open to safety messages after reading about a traumatic farm incident, and farmers generally consider other farmers and agricultural publications to be trusted sources of information. Telling the Story Project provides a platform for agricultural workers, and those impacted by fatal and non-fatal agricultural workplace injuries (workers, family, and community members), to share their stories. Told in their own words, these experiences teach about what went wrong and how to prevent or avoid similar incidents. Results: A website was created and serves as a platform for the personal narratives www.tellingthestoryproject.org. A monthly rural radio program has emerged from this project as another means to deliver this content effectively. Links to safety and health information provide resources for those visiting the website. Evaluation of stakeholder impact is ongoing. Practical Application: To further the reach of these stories, teachers’ guides have been created as additions to the curriculum for FFA and agricultural safety instructors.

JA:2021-12. How to Increase ATV Safe Riding Behaviors in Youth: FFA Members from across the Country Respond

ABSTRACT Purpose: All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a significant source of rural injuries and deaths. Few studies have examined the best methods to improve adolescent ATV safety practices from the target audience’s perspective. The study’s objective was to explore youth’s thoughts regarding how they might be best reached and persuaded to ride ATVs more safely. Methods: Attendees of three ATV safety workshop sessions at the 2018 National FFA Convention answered provided questions after facilitated discussion. Qualitative analysis of responses was independently performed by three research team members, and differences in coding were resolved through an iterative process. Descriptive and comparative analyses of responses were performed. Results/Findings: 309 FFA members from 62 clubs participated (29 states). Almost all clubs stated that one reason most youth don’t ride ATVs safely is because of personal beliefs (e.g. inconvenient/not as enjoyable to ride safely). Almost three-fourths stated that an unsafe riding behavior young people would be most likely/willing to change was wearing a helmet. The safety behaviors that youth thought their peers would be least willing to change were traveling at lower speeds and not carrying passengers. Over one-half of the clubs stated that one of the best places to reach youth was at schools; the second most frequently mentioned was social media. Safety presenters that clubs felt youth would be most likely to listen to were peers and those just slightly older than the target audience. Other presentation groups frequently mentioned were crash survivors and those whose loved ones had been injured or died in ATV crashes. A variety of celebrities and authority figures were also suggested. Activities thought to be most effective at promoting safe riding were presentations with real-life injury examples including videos that might create a “fear factor,” and hands-on activities. FFA clubs responded that the least effective methods were lengthy, non-interactive presentations and printed materials with lots of facts/statistics. Practical Application: Youth have strong opinions regarding injury prevention information delivery, and what is likely to result in behavioral change. Our study provides important data regarding not only ATV safety information delivery, but other agricultural injury prevention messaging to youth as well.

821 Burn Injury Prevention: A New Focus on the Older Population

Abstract Introduction Historically our burn center has focused its injury prevention messaging on the pediatric population, but with the ever changing age demographic in the valley, the burn center is working on ways to ensure that our injury prevention program is putting the right message out to the right population. With this goal in mind we looked at our hospital admissions, patient length of stay and inpatient hospital charges by age group to identify the populations in most need of injury prevention messaging. Methods A 3-year retrospective data review of burn admissions to our facility was performed. the review looked at patients separated into 9 different age groups, these groups were ranked (1 being the highest incidence to the lowest ranked 9th), comparing number of admissions, length of stay and cost of care. We looked at how each age group ranked as a total as well as average per patient. The rankings were used to identify high risk age groups. Results Burn registry data showed that the most frequent burn admissions to our burn center were not our pediatric or young adult populations. We further discovered that the older populations were admitted in the largest numbers and tended to have greater length of stays as well as higher hospital charges. Conclusions The focus of the hospital’s current injury prevention efforts is on the pediatric population. While this is a group that must always have a high priority in our prevention efforts, there is an under-served population in our community. The senior population in our valley need a customized injury prevention plan to help decrease burn injuries and admissions to the hospital. Registry data will be used to focus prevention efforts based on: seasonality of injury, mechanism of injury, and geographical location. Applicability of Research to Practice Utilization of burn registry data divulged gaps in our burn injury prevention efforts. Age specific prevention campaigns need to be created, implemented and tracked for effectiveness.

Community-based risk messaging in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Unintentional injuries are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet they are predictable and avoidable events. Community-based approaches to injury prevention are those where researchers and/or injury prevention specialists work alongside the target population to identify injury prevention issues and then co-create strategies that are relevant to the population. Community-based strategies differ from other approaches as they strive to conduct research with, rather than on marginalized groups. A community-based approach to social marketing, injury prevention and risk messaging was applied in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, to examine and address men's boating safety behaviours. Community participants identified the need for northern-based safety resources and a community-wide education campaign. As demonstrated through this example, community-based strategies should be considered for injury prevention, as the involvement of local community members may lead to more effective risk messaging that reflects the needs, culture, and experiences of the target group, while promoting healthy behaviours.

Utilizing Facebook and Automated Telephone Calls to Increase Adoption of a Local Smoke Alarm Installation Program.

Innovative strategies are needed to improve the prevalence of working smoke alarms in homes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the effectiveness of Facebook advertising and automated telephone calls as population-level strategies to encourage an injury prevention behavior. We examine the effectiveness of Facebook advertising and automated telephone calls as strategies to enroll individuals in Baltimore City's Fire Department's free smoke alarm installation program. We directed our advertising efforts toward Facebook users eligible for the Baltimore City Fire Department's free smoke alarm installation program and all homes with a residential phone line included in Baltimore City's automated call system. The Facebook campaign targeted Baltimore City residents 18 years of age and older. In total, an estimated 300 000 Facebook users met the eligibility criteria. Facebook advertisements were delivered to users' desktop and mobile device newsfeeds. A prerecorded message was sent to all residential landlines listed in the city's automated call system. By the end of the campaign, the 3 advertisements generated 456 666 impressions reaching 130 264 Facebook users. Of the users reached, 4367 individuals (1.3%) clicked the advertisement. The automated call system included approximately 90 000 residential phone numbers. Participants attributed 25 smoke alarm installation requests to Facebook and 458 to the automated call. Facebook advertisements are a novel approach to promoting smoke alarms and appear to be effective in exposing individuals to injury prevention messages. However, converting Facebook message recipients to users of a smoke alarm installation program occurred infrequently in this study. Residents who participated in the smoke alarm installation program were more likely to cite the automated call as the impetus for their participation. Additional research is needed to understand the circumstances and strategies to effectively use the social networking site as a tool to convert passive users into active participants.

Do Professional Society Advocacy Campaigns Have an Impact on Pediatric Orthopaedic Injuries?

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both advocate for childhood injury prevention by publishing recommendations to orthopaedic surgeons, pediatricians, and the public. Popular topics of advocacy campaigns have included trampolines, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and lawnmowers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the temporal relationship between AAOS/AAP advocacy and pediatric orthopaedic injury rates, using these topics as examples. We hypothesized that pediatric orthopaedic injury rates decline in years, following related AAOS/AAP recommendations. A retrospective review of fractures associated with trampolines, lawnmowers, and ATVs among patients aged 2 to 18 years from 1991 to 2014 was performed using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Fracture rates and percent changes year-to-year were calculated. A timeline of AAOS and AAP advocacy statements published on the products was created. Trampoline-related fractures rose 14% yearly from 1991 to 1999, reached a plateau from 1999 to 2003, corresponding with a 1999 AAP statement. Injury rates dropped 4.3% from 2006 to 2010 after 2005 and 2006 statements, and reached another plateau thereafter, as 2010 and 2012 statements were published. ATV-related fractures rose 14% yearly between 1997 and 2002, then dropped 15% from 2007 to 2010 following yearly AAP or AAOS statements from 2004 to 2007. From 2010 to 2014, the injury rate held constant during which time 2010, 2013, and 2014 statements were published. Lawnmower injury rates did not fall despite statements in 1998 and 2001 and a poster campaign in 2001. A 25% drop from 2007 to 2008 coincided with an AAOS statement in 2008. Fracture rates further dropped 31% from 2009 to 2011 and 21% from 2012 to 2014, amidst 2012 and 2014 statements. For ATV-related and lawnmower-related injuries, more male individuals were affected than female individuals, and for ATVs alone, injury rates increased with age. Although AAOS/AAP statements did not universally coincide with dropping fracture rates, statements often were associated with substantial decreases in following years. This is likely because injury prevention messages are dispersed from providers to the public over time and outcomes depend on highly variable patient behaviors. Level V-systematic review of descriptive data.

Injury Prevention at the Bedside.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 children will have an unintentional injury that requires medical attention or intervention by the time they are 21 years of age. Emergency department staff have an opportunity to engage families in injury prevention messaging right at the bedside. Having staff who participate in an injured patient's care can better prepare a family or prevent another injury. Our emergency department staff identified these moments as prime teaching opportunities and worked with our trauma team to develop resources and education for patients and families that present to our department.

Cool Runnings - an app-based intervention for reducing hot drink scalds: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundGlobally, burns are the fifth leading cause of non-fatal children’s injuries, and the leading cause of childhood burns is hot beverage scalds. Although there have been a number of programmes aimed at preventing scalds in children, very few have specifically addressed hot beverage scalds, and fewer have reported a reduction in injury rates. In Australia, hot beverage scalds account for 18 % of all childhood burns – a figure that has remained constant for the past decade.Innovative new technologies, such as Smartphone applications (apps), present a novel way for delivering individual-level injury prevention messages. The low cost, scalability and broad reach make this technology an ideal channel for health interventions.One of the latest methods being used in health-related apps aimed at behaviour change is gamification. Gamification uses the gaming principles of rewards, competition and personalisation to engage participants and motivate them towards preferred behaviours.This intervention will use a Smartphone app-based platform that combines gamification and behaviour-change strategies to increase knowledge and awareness of hot beverage scald risks and burn first aid among mothers of young children.Methods/designThis is a two-group, parallel, single-blinded randomised control trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of a Smartphone app-based injury prevention intervention. The primary outcome measure is change in knowledge. Change in knowledge is measured in three components: knowledge of correct burns first aid; knowledge of the main cause of burns/scalds in children aged 0–15yrs; knowledge of the main age group at risk for burns/scalds. The secondary outcome measures relate to the gamification methods, measuring participants frequency of engagement with the Cool Runnings app. Queensland-based mothers aged 18+ years who own a Smartphone and have at least one child aged 5–12 months are eligible to participate.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate an app-based delivery of injury prevention messages, and the first study to test the efficacy of gamification techniques in an injury prevention intervention. If this intervention is found to be effective, this RCT will provide a platform for targeting other childhood injury prevention campaigns.Trial registrationThis trial was registered on 14 January 2016 with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616000019404).

Understanding Barriers for Communicating Injury Prevention Messages and Strategies Moving Forward: Perspectives from Community Stakeholders.

The primary objective of this study was to elicit the perspectives of direct care providers on barriers and facilitators to communicating injury prevention messages to parents/caregivers of children under 4years of age. The secondary objective was to examine characteristics of an injury prevention messaging strategy preferred by direct care providers. This qualitative study was conducted across four regions in Ontario Canada. Fifty-nine direct care providers were purposefully sampled and data interpreted using focus group analysis. Transcripts were analyzed verbatim using content and discourse analysis. Several barriers to communicating injury prevention messages were identified encompassing (a) role, (b) parental, (c) social determinants, and (d) evidence impediments. In an effort to offset some of these barriers, participants endorsed the development of a tailored multicomponent injury prevention strategy adopting action-based messages. The results of this study provide an in-depth exploration of direct care providers perceptions that can inform the design of materials and dissemination strategies to help increase and optimize access to injury prevention information. Injury prevention messages should be action-oriented, specifically tailored to the stage of child development, and disseminated through both face-to-face interactions and mobile technology.

The impact of behavioral risk assessments and tailored health information on pediatric injury.

Integrating age appropriate injury prevention messages during a well-child visit is challenging in the face of competing demands. To describe a 7-month pilot using technology to facilitate injury prevention risk assessment and education integration. We prospectively tracked responses to the computer-based injury prevention self-assessment tool, safety product distribution, and any subsequent contact with the local hospital system for related unintentional injuries. A total of 2091 eligible visits by 1368 unique patients were assessed. Eight hundred forty-three unique patients completed the Safe N' Sound assessment and 7 were subsequently injured, with an injury related to a Safe N' Sound target area. A kiosk-based tailored injury assessment tool can be successfully integrated into a busy pediatric practice. Unintentional injury outcomes can be linked to the tailored anticipatory guidance and can identify the effectiveness of this electronic integration of injury prevention messaging into well-child examinations.

Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids: A randomized trial of a pediatric primary care-based obesity prevention intervention for at-risk 5–10 year olds

Pediatric primary care is an important setting in which to address obesity prevention, yet relatively few interventions have been evaluated and even fewer have been shown to be effective. The development and evaluation of cost-effective approaches to obesity prevention that leverage opportunities of direct access to families in the pediatric primary care setting, overcome barriers to implementation in busy practice settings, and facilitate sustained involvement of parents is an important public health priority. The goal of the Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids (HHHK 5–10) randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of a relatively low-cost primary care-based obesity prevention intervention aimed at 5 to 10year old children who are at risk for obesity. Four hundred twenty one parent/child dyads were recruited and randomized to either the obesity prevention arm or a Contact Control condition that focuses on safety and injury prevention. The HHHK 5–10 obesity prevention intervention combines brief counseling with a pediatric primary care provider during routine well child visits and follow-up telephone coaching that supports parents in making home environmental changes to support healthful eating, activity patterns, and body weight. The Contact Control condition combines the same provider counseling with telephone coaching focused on safety and injury prevention messages. This manuscript describes the study design and baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in the HHHK 5–10 trial.

Using social media to get our child injury prevention messages out there

BackgroundSafekids New Zealand uses our national series of ‘Safekids Campaign’ Workshops, our www.safekids.org.nz website, media releases/work with media, print advertising, resources and quarterly newsletter Safekids News to disseminate our unintentional...

Can lay educators be used to integrate injury prevention messages into home visitation programmes?

BackgroundHome visitation programmes by professionals have been proven effective at reducing certain injuries, yet there are limited data about the efficacy of the use of non-professionals in these programmes. The...

The effectiveness of a school-based European injury prevention programme on adolescent risk behaviour in a South African setting

BackgroundUnintentional injuries are identified as a major health concern among adolescents. The one factor that can contribute significantly to their increased rates of injury is their risk taking behaviour. Evidence...

Adult opinions about the age at which children can be left home alone, bathe alone, or bike alone: Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2)

ProblemThis study describes adult opinions about child supervision during various activities. MethodsData come from a survey of U.S. adults. Respondents were asked the minimum age a child could safely: stay home alone; bathe alone; or ride a bike alone. Respondents with children were asked if their child had ever been allowed to: play outside alone; play in a room at home for more than 10minutes alone; bathe with another child; or bathe alone. ResultsThe mean age that adults believed a child could be home alone was 13.0years (95% CI=12.9-13.1), bathe alone was 7.5years (95% CI=7.4-7.6), or bike alone was 10.1years (95% CI=10.0-10.3). There were significant differences by income, education, and race. DiscussionAssessing adult's understanding of the appropriate age for independent action helps set a context for providing guidance on parental supervision. Guidelines for parents should acknowledge social norms and child development stages. Impact on IndustryKnowledge of social norms can help guide injury prevention messages for parents.