Citation

Tamburro RF, Shorr RI, Bush AJ, Kritchevsky SB, Stidham GL, Helms SA. Inj. Prev. 2002; 8(3): 242-245.

Affiliation

Division of Critical Care Medicine, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. robert.tamburro@stjude.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12226125

PMCID

PMC1730880

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between the implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and pediatric unintentional injury rates. SETTING: Shelby County, Tennessee. DESIGN: Retrospective observational analysis. PATIENTS: County residents nine years of age or younger presenting to the children's medical center, its emergency department, or its outpatient clinics from 1990-97. INTERVENTION: Implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of unintentional injuries targeted by the SAFE KIDS Coalition that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of motor vehicle occupant injuries that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of non-targeted unintentional injuries, namely injuries secondary to animals and by exposure to toxic plants. Rates of severe injuries (defined as those targeted injuries that required hospitalization or resulted in death), and specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries were compared before and after the inception of the coalition using Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The relative risk of targeted severe injury rates decreased after implementation of the coalition even after controlling for changes in hospital admission rates. Specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injury rates decreased 30% (relative risk 0.70; 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.89) after initiation of the coalition. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition was associated with a decrease in severe targeted injuries, most notably, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries. Although causality cannot be determined, these data suggest that the presence of a coalition may be associated with decreased severe unintentional injury rates.