bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do self reported safety behaviours predict childhood unintentional injuries?
Authors: Hapgood R , Kendrick D , Marsh P 
Published: October 2002

Objective—The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of self reported safety behaviours as a proxy for injuries in unintentional injuries research.Setting—The study population comprised parents and guardians of children aged 3–12 months in 18 general practices throughout Nottingham (n=764) who responded to a questionnaire on safety practices.Method—Injury data were collected by searching the primary and secondary care records of each child in the study. Safety behaviour was measured by computing a safety practices score from self reported safety practices for each respondent to a postal baseline questionnaire survey of safety behaviours. The score was used to classify families into low, medium, and high risk of injury occurrence. Two further scores were calculated, firstly for those safety practices which required obtaining an item of safety equipment, and secondly those safety practices requiring behavioural change without cost implications.Results—High risk families were no more likely than low risk families to sustain an injury (odds ratio (OR) 1.08; 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 1.79). Medium risk families were also no more likely than low risk families to have a medically attended injury (OR 1.09; 0.73 to 1.61) suggesting no association between safety score and future medically attended injury. Similarly, compared to low risk families, medium risk (OR 0.93; 0.33 to 2.61) and high risk (OR 0.46; 0.08 to 2.43) families were no more likely to have a child admitted to hospital with an injury. There was no correlation between the total number of injuries sustained during the study period and the baseline safety practices score (Spearman's rho = 0.004; p=0.917). Subgroup analyses for safety behaviours requiring passive and active safety measures did not reveal significant associations with injury outcomes.Conclusion—Self reported safety behaviours do not appear to be good predictors of childhood unintentional injuries. Further research is required to ascertain valid proxy outcome measures for injury research.
Surface characteristics, equipment height, and the occurrence and severity of playground injuries
Authors: Laforest S , Robitaille Y , Lesage D , Dorval D 
Published: October 2002

Objectives—To evaluate whether surface characteristics (absorption level (g-max), material) and the height of play equipment are related to the occurrence and severity of injuries from falls.Setting and methods—During the summers of 1991 and 1995, conformity of play equipment to Canadian standards was assessed in a random sample (n=102) of Montreal public playgrounds. Surface absorption (g-max) was tested using a Max Hic instrument and the height of equipment was measured. Concurrently, all injuries presenting at the emergency department of Montreal's two children's hospitals were recorded and parents were interviewed. Inspected equipment was implicated in 185 injuries. The g-max measurements (1995 only) were available for 110 of these playground accidents.Results—One third of falls (35 %) occurred on a surface exceeding 200 g and the risk of injury was three times greater than for g level lower than 150 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45 to 6.35). On surfaces having absorption levels between 150 g and 200 g, injuries were 1.8 times more likely (95% CI 0.91 to 3.57). Injuries were 2.56 times more likely to occur on equipment higher than 2 m compared with equipment lower than 1.5 m. Analysis of risk factors by severity of injury failed to show any positive relationships between the g-max or height and severity, whereas surface material was a good predictor of severity.Conclusions—This study confirms the relationships between risk of injury, surface resilience, and height of equipment, as well as between type of material and severity of injury. Our data suggest that acceptable limits for surface resilience be set at less than 200 g, and perhaps even less than 150 g, and not exceed 2 m for equipment height. These findings reinforce the importance of installing recommended materials, such as sand, beneath play equipment.
Epidemiology of violent deaths in the world
Authors: Reza A , Mercy J A , Krug E 
Published: October 2002

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 a global public health problem.Setting—The world and its eight major regions.Method—Data were derived fromThe Global Burden of Diseaseseries and the US National Center for Health Statistics to estimate crude rates, age adjusted rates, sex rate ratios, and the health burden for suicide, homicide, and war related deaths for the world and its eight major regions in 1990.Results—In 1990, an estimated 1 851 000 people died from violence (35.3 per 100 000) in the world. There were an estimated 786 000 suicides. Overall suicide rates ranged from 3.4 per 100 000 in Sub-Saharan Africa to 30.4 per 100 000 in China. There were an estimated 563 000 homicides. Overall homicide rates ranged from 1.0 per 100 000 in established market economies to 44.8 per 100 000 in Sub-Saharan Africa with peaks among males aged 15–24 years old, and among females aged 0–4 years old. There were an estimated 502 000 war related deaths with peaks in rates for both sexes among people aged 0–4, 15–29, and 60–69 years old.Conclusion—The number of violence related deaths in the world is unacceptably high. Coordinated prevention and control efforts are urgently needed.
Rural population survey of behavioral and demographic risk factors for loaded firearms
Authors: Nordstrom D L , Zwerling C , Stromquist A M , Burmeister L F , Merchant J A 
Published: October 2002

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 in three different types of rural households.Methods—Adults from a stratified random sample of 983 households in a rural Iowa county were interviewed. The χ2test of independence was used to assess association between loaded, unlocked firearms and seven behavioral and demographic risk factors.Results—Nearly 67% of respondents reported firearms in their households. Nearly 7% of households had a loaded, unlocked gun. Prevalence of firearms at home was higher while prevalence of loaded, unlocked guns was lower than reported in other surveys. Prevalence of loaded, unlocked guns in farm households, 10.5%, was about twice the level in town households, 5.5% (χ2test, p=0.033). Having taken a gun safety course was associated with more than double the prevalence of a loaded, unlocked gun, 13.5%v5.1% (χ2test, p=0.001). The prevalence of loaded, unlocked guns in households with a handgun, 19.3%, was four and one half times higher than in households with a long gun only, 4.2% (χ2test, p=0.001). Households with someone with a lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence were about twice as likely as other households, 13.0%v6.6% (χ2test, p=0.004), to report having loaded, unlocked firearms.Conclusions—Anyone interested in promoting safe storage of firearms in rural homes should consider these observations.
Surveillance of hospitalized farm injuries in Canada
Authors: Pickett W , Hartling L , Dimich-Ward H , Guernsey J R , Hagel L , Voaklander D C , Brison R J 
Published: October 2002

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 experiencing a farm injury requiring hospitalization, April 1991 to March 1995. Access to hospital separation data was negotiated within Canadian provinces. Individual cases were verified by medical records personnel and supplemental data describing injury circumstances were obtained.Analysis: descriptive analyses characterizing farm injuries by: persons involved, mechanisms, primary diagnoses, and agents of injury.Results—Data from 8/10 Canadian provinces representing 98% of the farm population were obtained. A total of 8263 farm injuries were verified. Adults aged 60 years and older were over-represented in these injuries. Leading external causes of agricultural machinery injury included entanglements, being pinned/struck by machinery, falls, and runovers. Non-machinery causes included falls from heights, animal related trauma, and being struck/by against objects. Leading diagnoses varied by age group, but included: limb fractures/open wounds, intracranial injuries, skull fractures, and spinal/truncal fractures.Conclusions—CAISP is a new agricultural injury surveillance program in Canada. Data from this system are actively used to inform prevention initiatives, and to indicate priorities for etiological and experimental research in the Canadian agricultural setting.
Injury related infant death: the impact of race and birth weight
Authors: Jain A , Khoshnood B , Lee K S , Concato J 
Published: October 2002

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 (non-Hispanic), African American, Mexican American, and Native American.Methods—Linked infant birth and death data from the National Center for Health Statistics for 1989–91 were analyzed to calculate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for death due to homicide or unintentional injury within the first year of life. In addition to maternal race and birth weight, the risk of death was adjusted for maternal age, prenatal care, maternal education, paternal education, marital status, birth order, interval since last pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, and alcohol intake during pregnancy.Results—Among 10.7 million births during 1989–91, 821 homicides and 2397 unintentional deaths were reported in infants. Relative to whites, African Americans were at highest risk for homicides (unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios = 3.6 (95% confidence interval = 3.1 to 4.2) and 1.6 (1.3 to 1.9), respectively) and Native Americans at highest risk for unintentional injuries (unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios = 3.8 (3.0 to 4.8) and 2.1 (1.7 to 2.6), respectively). After accounting for other sociodemographic factors, Mexican American infants appeared protected from injury (adjusted odds ratio = 0.7 (0.6 to 1.0) for homicides and 0.7 (0.6 to 0.8) for unintentional injuries). An inverse effect of birth weight was seen—as birth weight decreased, risk of homicides and unintentional injuries increased. After adjustment for the sociodemographic factors, very low birthweight babies were still at substantially increased risk of homicides with an odds ratio of 2.1 (1.4 to 3.1) and unintentional injuries with an odds ratio of 2.9 (2.4 to 3.7).Conclusions—Using a large national dataset, the effect of race as a risk factor for fatal infant injuries was mostly explained by birth weight and other sociodemographic factors. Preventable risk factors need to be identified for African Americans and Native Americans, in particular. Birth weight is an important independent risk factor; very low birthweight babies should be monitored for both homicide and unintentional injury.
Relationship between licensing, registration, and other gun sales laws and the source state of crime guns
Authors: Webster D W , Vernick J S , Hepburn L M 
Published: October 2002

Objective—To determine the association between licensing and registration of firearm sales and an indicator of gun availability to criminals.Methods—Tracing data on all crime guns recovered in 25 cities in the United States were used to estimate the relationship between state gun law categories and the proportion of crime guns first sold by in-state gun dealers.Results—In cities located in states with both mandatory registration and licensing systems (five cities), a mean of 33.7% of crime guns were first sold by in-state gun dealers, compared with 72.7% in cities that had either registration or licensing but not both (seven cities), and 84.2% in cities without registration or licensing (13 cites). Little of the difference between cities with both licensing and registration and cities with neither licensing nor registration was explained by potential confounders. The share of the population near a city that resides in a neighboring state without licensing or registration laws was negatively associated with the outcome.Conclusion—States with registration and licensing systems appear to do a better job than other states of keeping guns initially sold within the state from being recovered in crimes. Proximity to states without these laws, however, may limit their impact.
Underreporting of traffic injuries involving children in Japan
Authors: Nakahara S , Wakai S 
Published: October 2002

Background—Significant underreporting of road traffic injuries by the police has been documented, even in developed countries. The objective of this study was to clarify the magnitude of underreporting of police data in Japan.Methods—Police reports were compared with those of the fire department and the Marine and Fire Insurance Association of Japan.Results—The results reveal significant underreporting by police of child vehicle occupant injuries. The true incidence of these injuries in preschoolers was twice as high as that provided by official police reports.Conclusion—Police reports would underestimate the magnitude of vehicle occupant injuries in children and distort any evaluations of preventive initiatives. Improving the police report system, and establishing a more comprehensive trauma registry, that would include data from hospitals and insurance companies should be implemented.
Knowledge, attitude, and practice of sugarcane crushers towards hand injury prevention strategies in India
Authors: David S S , Goel K 
Published: October 2002

Introduction—Injuries of the hand have an enormous impact on hand function and on quality of life. Occupational injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in India and their incidence has been steadily increasing. Sugarcane crushers produce juice using dangerous procedures.Objective—The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among sugarcane crushers in India and thus assist in the formulation of effective preventive strategies.Setting—A block (area) in the Vellore District, South India (population 100 000).Subjects and methods—All sugarcane crushers living in this area (n = 32) were included. A single observer, using a questionnaire, conducted personal on-site interviews.Results—Carelessness was involved in 63% of injuries. Sixteen per cent felt that machines with improved safety features are required; 40% supported the use of special gloves, although 19% considered them a hindrance. Eighty eight per cent did not consider the long duration of work as a risk factor and 38% were fatalistic (God's will); 50% thought the injuries were due to “bad luck”.Conclusion—Sugarcane crushers do not perceive the need for safer equipment. To overcome fatalistic views, and persuade this group to take other safety measures, safety education will need to take into consideration their socioeconomic and educational status.
Thermal protective uniforms and hoods: impact of design modifications and water content on burn prevention in New York City firefighters: laboratory and field results
Authors: Prezant D J , Malley K S , Barker R L , Guerth C , Kelly K J 
Published: October 2002

Objectives—To determine (1) the effectiveness of hoods in reducing head burns, (2) the impact of clothes worn under the protective outer uniform (modern = long sleeve shirt and long pants; modified modern = short sleeve T-shirt and short pants) on burns, and (3) whether water content (dry, damp or saturated) affects the level of thermal protection.Setting—Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY).Methods—Laboratory tests (fully dressed manikin) evaluated the different uniform and water conditions when exposed to an average 24 cal/cm2heat flux, approximately 2250°F air temperature. FDNY field results compared (1) head burns during winters wearing the hood to winters without hood and (2) upper and lower extremity burns during summers wearing traditional, modern, and modified modern uniforms.Results—Laboratory tests showed that thermal protection was: (1) dramatically improved by the hood with protection increasing as water content increased and (2) not significantly different between modern and modified modern uniforms, regardless of water content. FDNY field results confirmed these tests showing (1) significant decreases in neck burns (by 54%), ear burns (by 60%), and head burn totals (by 46%) wearing the hood and (2) no significant differences in upper or lower extremity burns wearing modern compared with modified modern uniforms.Conclusions—Based on combined laboratory and field results, we strongly recommend the use of modern thermal protective hoods and the modified modern uniform.
Prevention of construction falls by organizational intervention
Authors: Becker P , Fullen M , Akladios M , Hobbs G 
Published: October 2002

Objectives—Determine if a university based (third party) intervention can improve construction contractor organizational performance to increase use of fall prevention practices and technologies.Setting—Falls are the leading cause of worker injury and death in the construction industry. Equipment and practices that can prevent falls are often not used appropriately in the dynamic construction work environment.Methods—A contractual partnership between a university and construction contractors created management systems to ensure use of fall protection measures. Audits by university faculty provided accountability for implementing the fall prevention system. Evaluation was conducted by quasiexperimental methodology comparing changes in audit score from baseline to fifth quarter from baseline for intervention and control contractors.Results—Audit scores improvement was greater for intervention than for control contractor group.Conclusion—A third party intervention can improve contractor fall prevention performance.
Recreational injury and its relation to socioeconomic status among school aged children in the US
Authors: Ni H , Barnes P , Hardy A M 
Published: October 2002

Objectives: This study described epidemiologic patterns of recreational injuries among school aged children in the US and assessed the relation of these patterns to socioeconomic status.Methods: Combined data from the 1997–98 National Health Interview Surveys for 38 458 children aged 6–17 years regarding non-fatal recreational injury episodes that received medical attention, reported by a household adult, were analysed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between recreational injury and socioeconomic status while controlling for confounding factors.Results: The annualized rate of recreational injury was 91.2 episodes per 1000 children, with an increased risk associated with a higher family income status or being non-Hispanic white. For children from not poor families, most injury episodes occurred in sport facilities, whereas for children from poor and near poor families, most occurred outside the home.Conclusion: Recreational injury is a significant health problem for school aged children in the US. Non-Hispanic white children and children from affluent families are at increased risk of recreational injury.
Comparison of two methods for assessing injuries among preschool children
Authors: Fonseca S S , Victora C G , Halpern R , da C Lima R , Barros F C 
Published: October 2002

Background: Most studies of injuries use health services records or recall rather than prospective methods, and there is no information on how these different methods compare. This study was aimed at comparing a report (retrospective) with a diary (prospective) for recording childhood injuries.Methods: The study included 1273 and 620 children, the retrospective and prospective subsamples, respectively, from a population based birth cohort in Pelotas, southern Brazil. The reported incidence of injuries in the preceding month were compared with those reported over month by diary (prospective study).Results: Both methods were well accepted and 92.7% of the diaries were returned. One or more injuries per child month were reported for 20.8% (retrospective) and 48.4% (prospective) of the children. The total number of reported injuries for the 620 children were 145 (retrospective) and 715 (prospective). Using the prospective method as the gold standard, the retrospective method detected only 20.2% of all injuries. Under-reporting did not vary significantly with maternal education, but was greater (51.8%) for injuries requiring medical care than for those managed at home (18.3%; p=0.003).Conclusions: The diary was well accepted and resulted in higher incidences of reported injuries than the recall method, particularly for injuries that did not require medical care. Use of this method should be promoted to provide more complete epidemiological information to guide preventive strategies.
The nature of newspaper coverage of homicide
Authors: Taylor C A , Sorenson S B 
Published: October 2002

Objectives:Previous research has shown that some homicides are more likely than others to receive newspaper coverage (for example, homicides by strangers). The present investigation examined whether, once the decision has been made to report on a homicide, the nature of the coverage (that is, how much visibility is given to a story, what information is included, and how a story is written) differs according to two key variables, victim ethnicity, and victim-suspect relationship.Setting:Los Angeles, California (USA).Methods:Homicide articles from the 1990–94 issues of theLos Angeles Timeswere stratified according to the predictors of interest (victim ethnicity and victim-suspect relationship) and a sample was drawn. Data that characterized two primary aspects of newspaper coverage, prominence and story framing (including background information, story focus, use of opinions, story tone, and “hook” or leading introductory lines) were abstracted from the articles. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were generated. Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the predictive value of victim ethnicity and victim-suspect relationship on the nature of the newspaper coverage.Results:Newspaper coverage of homicide was generally factual, episodic, and unemotional in tone. Victim-suspect relationship, but not victim ethnicity, was related to how a story was covered, particularly the story frame. Homicides by intimates were covered consistently differently from other types of homicides; these stories were less likely to be opinion dominated, be emotional, and begin with a “hook”.Conclusion:Victim-suspect relationship was related to the nature of coverage of homicides in a large, metropolitan newspaper. Given the agenda setting and issue framing functions of the news media, these findings have implications for the manner in which the public and policy makers perceive homicides and, consequently, for the support afforded to various types of solutions for addressing and preventing violence.