Injury Prevention articles from June 2001

Injury Prevention archives from June 2001

UNICEF's child injury league tables: a bag of mixed messages.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... The report issued by the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) in February, 2001, by the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, has attracted much attention. [1] One of us (BP) promptly wrote a letter to the editor of his local...

Barriers and opportunities in reducing motor vehicle injuries.
June 1, 2001... A certain number of injuries are the inevitable consequence of enhanced mobility provided by high speed motor vehicle travel, but as a society we tolerate many more injuries than need occur. Vehicles and roadways can be made safer, and there...

In this issue: the editor's two cents.
June 1, 2001... It is customary for reviewers to offer comments for the editor to help decide the fate of manuscripts. All papers that we ultimately publish undergo this tough scrutiny. But the last word always belongs to the editor. With this issue I am...

Risk compensation theory should be subject to systematic reviews of the scientific evidence.
June 1, 2001... Background Many readers of Injury Prevention are quite familiar with the debate over bicycle helmet use. The core of this debate is the opinion on one side that helmets are effective and thus should be worn, countered on the other side by...

The risk compensation theory and bicycle helmets.
June 1, 2001... The Cochrane review by Rivara and the Thompsons found evidence that if you bang your head the consequences will be less severe if you are wearing a protective helmet. [1] Based on this review they recommend that cyclists should be "encouraged"...

Drinking and walking.(drunk pedestrian causes fatal car accident in Illinois)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... An intoxicated pedestrian in Warrenville, IL, faces multiple traffic charges for staggering on to a street and causing a fatal crash, the Cook County Daily Herald reported. James A Browne, 31, was charged with being an intoxicated pedestrian on...

An old sad story.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In his account of "The Way West", a description of the 1841 expedition to the American west, in a recent National Geographic, John G Mitchell wrote: "Disease was the number one killer... [but there was also] death by accidental gunshot,...

Sweet news for lollipop patrols.(new traffic laws mean more authority for school safety patrols)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... School crossing patrols have been given wider powers to help people cross the road safely, England's Road Safety Minister, Lord Whitty, announced in January. Until now, "lollipop people" could only stop vehicles to help schoolchildren cross the...

Injury Free Coalition for Kids.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest health care philanthropist in the US, and has long supported efforts in substance abuse and tobacco prevention. Less well known is the support the foundation offers to injury prevention. A...

Drawstring near-miss renews calls for ban in Canada.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A mother in New Brunswick, Canada, thought she was witnessing her child's death when a drawstring at the bottom of the 7 year old girl's jacket got caught in a school bus railing. Unaware, the driver drove off, dragging the girl outside the bus...

While in the US.(children's clothing recall)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A Florida company has recalled about 6600 girls' sweatshirts because they have hood drawstrings. Children can get entangled and strangle in the drawstrings that catch on objects, including playground equipment, fences and tree branches, notes...

Gardai police crashed cars on roadside as warning.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The wreckage of a dozen crashed cars greeted drivers along a quarter mile stretch of the main Dublin-Belfast road north of Dundalk in February. The display on the hard shoulder of the road was mounted by the Gardai in a renewed attempt to curb...

CIRnet builds momentum.(Canadian Injury Research Network )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Canadian Injury Research Network (CIRnet) continues on its fast track to create a research agenda for injury prevention and control, following the Canadian Conference on Injury Prevention and Control in Kananaskis, Alberta. Ambitious in...

Rating of US child occupant protection laws.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Between July and December 2000, the US National SAFE KIDS Campaign conducted an extensive analysis of child occupant protection laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia SAFE KIDS based its rating system on a 100 point scale. SAFE KIDS...

Malaysian expert group.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Malaysian Ministry of Health appointed Dr R Krishnan, Dr Zulkifli Ismail, Dr Osman Ali, Dr Siti Norazah, Dr Loh Wah Yun, Dr K G Rampal, and Dr Amar Singh as consultants for their injury prevention programme from October to December 2000....

Agreement on general product safety directive.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The ANEC Newsletter reports that on 30 November 2000, the Internal Market/ Consumer/Tourism Council of the European Union (EU) reached political agreement on the commission's draft directive to improve the rules governing product safety in...

American Dental Association urges parents to provide mouthguards for children playing sports and riding scooters.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In its most recent report, the US CPSC stated in 1991 that more than 100 000 cases of facial trauma occurred in children younger than 14 while they participated in sports activities. Now that motorized scooters are so popular with children,...

Health Canada warns of lead hazard in jewellery and candles.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Inexpensive jewellery, often marketed for children, may contain extremely high proportions of lead, a marketplace survey by Health Canada discovered. Laboratory results showed that most of the jewellery, both imported and Canadian made, had...

New resources on agricultural injuries.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Two new resources are available on agricultural injuries from the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety in Wisconsin. Their winter newsletter has a cover article "Farm injuries are not 'accidents';frustration...

New measures to cut road deaths.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In view of the 42 000 people killed and more than 1.7 million injured on EU roads every year, the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Policy has asked the commission to come up with measures to reduce drastically the number of fatal...

The Health of Canada's children.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Canadian Institute of Child Health has published the third edition of The Health of Canada's Children, which provides a comprehensive picture of child health and wellbeing.

Award winning idea on checking depth of impact absorbing surfaces.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... How do you easily tell when playground surfacing material needs topping up? The government agency responsible for public playgrounds in the Australian Capital Territory came up with an idea that received an honorable mention in the Kidsafe...

Canada's Safe Kids Week aims to turn down the hot water.(tap water safety and burn prevention program)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Following the model of successful campaigns in Australia, Norway, the US, and the province of British Columbia, Safe Kids Canada made tap water scalds the focus of its annual media and community partnership week, 28 May-3 June. The goal is to...

Significant change in New Zealand accident insurance.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... There have been some significant changes in the New Zealand system of accident insurance. The accident compensation scheme provides 24 hour, no-fault, comprehensive, and compulsory accident insurance for all, including visitors from overseas,...

Partnerships for prevention.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Survivor advocates and injury prevention professionals can form productive partnerships. The latest issue of the Trauma Foundation's newsletter describes seven examples of effective partnering that have resulted in the passage of laws, public...

New Zealand injury data.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Injury Prevention Research Unit at the University of Otago has produced more of its fact sheets on injury. Fact sheets No 17 Trends in Fatal Injury and No 18 Trends in Non-fatal Injury provide detailed graphs and tables including age...

Cold winter + rising fuel costs = fire and burn hazards.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Soaring prices (by Canadian standards) for natural gas, oil, and electricity this winter led some Canadians to turn to alternative sources to heat their homes. (Compared with European prices, Canadian energy costs are still low, but these...

Ford booster seat initiative.(Ford Motor Company donates booster seats)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In January, the Ford Motor Company joined with the United Way to donate 500 000 child booster seats to needy families. Ford dealerships will also distribute another half million booster seats to customers who wish to purchase them. Statewide...

Cost of gun violence.(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
June 1, 2001... A new book puts the cost of gun violence in the US at a staggering $100 billion annually. Authors Phil Cook and Jens Ludwig, professors of public policy at Johns Hopkins and Duke University respectively, write in Gun Violence: The Real Costs...

Falls among older people.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A recent study by the Yale School of Medicine found that slipping showers, loose throw rugs, and other household hazards were not responsible for most falls by the elderly living at home. Surprisingly, no relationship was found between...

Decline in aboriginal life expectancy.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Associated with the risk of injury death there is evidence that the life expectancy among Australian indigenous communities is falling. Unpublished data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates small falls in life expectancy in...

Unattended children in cars.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Kids 'N Cars is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of the risks involved in leaving children unattended in or around vehicles. With a grant from the California Kids 'Plates program (funds from the sales of a special...

Changes to ICRIN web site.(Injury Control Resource Information Network)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Hank Weiss, keeper of the excellent ICRIN web site has made a range of improvements. There is new information on the ICRIN education and training page with links to the archived multimedia seminars from the University of Pittsburgh...

Action on injury in Vietnam.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The rates of child injury death in the developed world can be easily put in context by comparing the UNICEF League of Child Death figures to those in developing countries. The UNICEF report, covered fully elsewhere in this issue of Injury...

US seat belt study--use is up but variation by region.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... While seat belt use in the US was up slightly to 71% in 2000, a new study shows wide variations in use depending on vehicle type and the strength of state seat belt laws. There also were significant regional differences, with Western motorists...

Pedestrian protection moving slowly.(European Union)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In February, ANEC and BEUC participated in a public hearing organised by the European Commission on pedestrian protection. For many years now, consumers have been lobbying for a directive containing the four pedestrian protection tests that are...

American Public Health Association newsletters online.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Injury Control and Emergency Health Services section newsletters of the American Public Health Association are online at www.apha.org/sections/newsletters/ injurycontrol.htm. To visit the ICEHS section web site, go to www.icehs.org.

Scalds prevention project funded.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A tap water scald prevention committee operating from the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg, Canada has received grant of S15 000 to support its work, reports Manitoba Child Injury Prevention News, the newsletter of IMPACT. The grant will enable...

American Medical Association scooter injuries' resolution.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... At the interim 2000 meeting of the American Medical Association House of Delegates, the house adopted as amended a resolution on preventing scooter injuries, which was cosponsored by seven national medical specialty societies. The original...

School bus safety in Portugal.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Since 1998, APSI (Portuguese Association for Child and Adolescent Safety Promotion) has been lobbying for better safety conditions for school buses and children's transportation undertaken by institutions (outside parents direct...

Children as pedestrians.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... APSI has been campaigning for lower speeds (maximum 30 km/h) in residential areas, near schools, and near school bus stops. The maximum legal speed is 50 km/h but it is not obeyed. Some training has been carried out by the Road Traffic...

Validation of the ICD/AIS MAP for pediatric use.(abbreviated injury scale)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To determine the performance of the ICD/AIS MAP ([C] E J MacKenzie et al) as a method of classifying injury severity for children. Methods--Data on all children less than 16 years of age admitted to all designated...

Do safety practices differ between responders and non-responders to a safety questionnaire?(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--To compare reported safety practices between responders and nonresponders to a safety survey. Design--Cross sectional survey at baseline compared with safety practices reported at subsequent child health...

Epidemiology of violent deaths in the world.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective--This study describes epidemiologic patterns of mortality due to suicide, homicide, and war for the world in order to serve as a benchmark against which to measure future progress and to raise awareness about violence as...

Rural population survey of behavioral and demographic risk factors for loaded firearms.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives-In the United States, firearm deaths are almost as frequent as motor vehicle deaths. Firearm unintentional and suicide death rates are raised in rural areas. This study examines firearm prevalence and storage practices...

Injuries among children and youth in farm households: Regional Rural Injury Study-I.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives-The purpose of this effort was to identify the incidence and consequences of both farming and non-farming related injuries and the potential risk factors for farming related injuries among children and youth, aged 0-19...

Surveillance of hospitalized farm injuries in Canada.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective-To provide an overview of hospital admissions for the treatment of farm injuries. Methods-Design: descriptive analysis of data from the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP). Population: persons...

Potential benefits of restrictions on the transport of teenage passengers by 16 and 17 year old drivers.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives--The presence of passengers is associated with fatal motor vehicle crashes of teenage drivers. A restriction against newly licensed teenage drivers carrying passengers has been included in some, but not all, graduated...

Injury related infant death: the impact of race and birth weight.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective-To examine the effect of race and birth weight independent of other sociodemographic factors on injury related infant death using national data. Setting-Infants born in the United States to mothers who were white...

Hypothermia deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Introduction--Some reported characteristics associated with hypothermia mortality include older age, alcohol consumption, male sex, and black race. The purpose of this paper is to present the epidemiology of hypothermia...

Editorial board member: brief biography.(John Langley)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... John has been involved in injury prevention research since 1978. His initial research focused on the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of the health and development of a thousand children. Research...

Pupil injury risks as a function of physical and psychosocial environmental problems experienced at school.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives--To investigate relations between physical and psychosocial environmental problems in schools, as perceived by school principals, and injuries among pupils. Method--Proportionate injury ratios (PIRs) were computed...

Wedded to the car?(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Americans lead the world in use of automobiles over walking or biking. One study cited by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found Americans use cars for 84% of their trips in urban areas compared with cars used to make 36% of...

New safety device?(vehicle sensors used by automobile insurer)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The LA Times reported that Progressive Insurance Co, one of the nation's largest auto insurers, has placed devices in customers' vehicles to measure how much they drive, when and where, with the incentive being a reduction in premiums for those...

Morse on the case of the persecuted pedestrian.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Colin Dexter, the English writer who created Morse, our editor's favourite TV detective, received the freedom of the city of Oxford. But according to one report, he will not find it easy to exercise that freedom because Oxford streets are...

Children hospitalized early and increased risk for future serious injury.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objective-To determine if infants hospitalized for any reason before 90 days of age are at increased risk for future serious injury. Setting-Washington State. Methods-A population based retrospective cohort study, using...

A geographic analysis of motor vehicle collisions with child pedestrians in Long Beach, California: comparing intersection and midblock incident locations.(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Abstract Objectives--The purpose of this study was to use geographic information system (GIS) software to locate areas of high risk for child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions in the city of Long Beach and to compare risk factors between...

[0] Editorial board member: brief biography.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Olive Kobusingye is an accident and emergency surgeon and injury epidemiologist at the Injury Control Center, Makerere Medical School in Kampala, Uganda. She has experience in the design and implementation of injury surveillance systems in low...

Updating the evidence. A systematic review of what works in preventing childhood unintentional injuries: Part 1.
June 1, 2001... In the last 10 years there has been considerable progress in the science and art of injury prevention. The scientific study of what works in different fields of health care and health promotion has expanded, and evidence-led policy development...

Sports injuries in the European Union member states: a "team sport" project.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Exercise should be an integral part of every day activities if we are to promote a healthy lifestyle and successfully combat the contemporary nosological spectrum. Participation in sports activities has always been thought of as enhancing...

Building a EU alliance for sports injuries documentation and prevention.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Official partners in the project were colleagues representing Institutions from five EU member states (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece) and Israel, with additional input from the Netherlands, Denmark, USA, UK, and the European...

SAFE KIDS Worldwide launched.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... More than 40 public health, medical, and business professionals from 18 countries convened in Washington, DC in January 2001 to attend the first ever SAFE KIDS Worldwide Leadership Conference entitled, "Building the Global Team". The countries...

European Child Safety Alliance.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... With the support of the European Commission and the Consumer Safety Institute of the Netherlands, the European Consumer Safety Association has been able to fulfill one of its ambitions: to create a long lasting platform to coordinate European...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.(scooter safety and accident prevention)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Scooter injuries to children EDITOR,-- Recent injury data collected by the Victorian Injury Surveillance and Applied Research System (VISS), suggests the current resurgence in scooter use by children is associated with increases in the...

A league table of child deaths by injury in rich nations.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... UNICEF: A league table of child deaths by injury in rich nations. Innocenti Report Card No 2. February 2001. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, Italy UNICEF has recently (February 2001) published the second of its "Innocenti...

Cigarettes and fire.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The need to reduce the fires associated with cigarettes and the need to do so has been the subject of some discussion in Australia and New Zealand. Following research and discussion on regulation in the US a Private Members Bill calling for the...

A couple of "odd spots".(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A Dutchman's driving test ended prematurely when his car was ripped apart by two trains. He and his examiner hurriedly escaped after stalling on a rail crossing near The Hague. Separate trains dragged the car in two directions but no-one was...

SPLINTERS & FRAGMENTS.(various articles on injury research and statistics)
June 1, 2001... A new study has examined the likelihood of injury among people who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs. Medical claims data from a longitudinal database of 1.5 million people were examined, and claims for anyone with a primary or secondary...