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29 October 2001
We are unable to provide photocopies of any the articles and reports abstracted below. Where possible, links have been provided to the publisher of the material and contact information for the corresponding author is listed. Please consider asking your library to subscribe to the journals from which these abstracts have been gathered.
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A random, roadside breathalyzer survey of alcohol impaired driving in Ghana.
Moch C, Asiamah G, Amegashie J. J Crash Prevention Injury Control 2001; 2(3): 193-202.
Correspondence: Charles Mock, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 USA (email: cmock@u.washington.edu).
OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of alcohol impaired driving in Ghana, an African nation.
METHODS: The authors conducted a random, roadside breathalyzer survey of drivers in Ghana.
RESULTS: A total of 149 (21%) of 722 drivers had a detectable blood alcohol concentration. In addition, 7.3 percent of drivers had a BAC of 80 mg/dl or greater. The prevalence of impaired driving (BAC > 79 mg/dl) was higher among private drivers (9.8%) than commercial drivers (6.4%). However, due to a higher volume, the majority of impaired drivers were commercial drivers. Alcohol use was higher among uneducated drivers (11%) compared to educated drivers (5.4%) and was higher among middle aged drivers (30-49 years, 9.1%) compared with younger (< 30 years; 5.0%) or older drivers (> 50 years; 0%).
CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol impaired driving is a significant problem in Ghana.
Banning the "A word": where's the evidence?
Evans SA. Inj Prev 2001; 7(3): 172-175.
Correspondence: SA Evans, Division of Public Health, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds, 71-75 Clarendon Road, Leeds LS2 9PL, UK. (email: hsspsl@leeds.ac.uk).
BACKGROUND: It is argued that use of the term "accident" has a negative effect on prevention efforts as the term implies that such events are due to chance.
OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that use of "injury" in place of "accident" can influence professional attitudes towards "accident/injury" prevention.
METHODS: A randomized comparative study conducted within the Leeds Health Authority area serving the population (n=740,000) of the city of Leeds in the Yorkshire region of England. Altogether 183 health visiting staff in the Leeds area were randomized (by place of work) to one of two groups. Each group received a similar postal questionnaire assessing attitudes relating to accident/injury prevention. One group received a questionnaire using only accident terminology while the other used injury terminology throughout.
RESULTS: Fifty responses in the accident group were received and 39 in the injury group. Analysis by Mann-Whitney U tests showed little difference in group responses. The only significant finding was that respondents in the "accident" group were more likely to rank "accident prevention" of higher importance relative to respondents in the "injury" group (median 2, 25%-75% quartiles 1.8-4.0 compared with median 4, 25%-75% quartiles 2.0-5.0, p=0.04). However, this may have been a chance finding due to the multiple comparisons made.
CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown little difference in health visitor responses when "accident" is replaced with "injury". It is possible that the effect of changing terminology is more nebulous--influencing society at large. However, it would be as well to recognize the lack of evidence and clarity relating to the terminology debate. Otherwise, there is a danger that the "injury" believers may become alienated from the "accident" diehards.
Prevention of construction falls by organizational intervention.
Becker P, Fullen M, Akladios M, Hobbs G. Inj Prev 2001; 7(Suppl 1):i64-i67.
Correspondence: Paul Becker, Safety and Health Extension, West Virginia University, 130 Tower Lane, Morgantown 26506-6615, USA. (email: pbecker2@wvu.edu).
BACKGROUND: 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.
OBJECTIVES: Determine if a university based (third party) intervention can improve construction contractor organizational performance to increase use of fall prevention practices and technologies.
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.
CONCLUSIONS: A third party intervention can improve contractor fall prevention performance.
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Teenager injury panorama in northern Sweden.
Johansson L, Eriksson A, Bjornstig U. Int J Circumpolar Health 2001; 60(3):380-390.
Correspondence: L. Johansson, Section of Forensic Medicine, Dept. of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umea University, Sweden.
OBJECTIVES: To study non-fatal unintentional injuries among teenagers and to suggest preventive measures.
METHODS: All injured teenagers (N = 1044) attending the emergency care unit of the University Hospital, Umea, Sweden during 1991 were asked to answer a questionnaire focusing on when, where and how the injury occurred. All available medical records were examined. Data were coded according to the Nordic Medico-Statistical Committees Classification for Accident Monitoring, NOMESCO, and to the Abbreviated Injury Scale, AIS.
RESULTS: 1,043 teenagers were treated with sports and transportation related injuries as the most common ones. Most injuries were minor (AIS 1), transportation related injuries had the highest proportion of non-minor injuries (AIS > or = 2), 139 teenagers were admitted for in-patient care. Most injuries occurred during leisure/school time.
CONCLUSIONS: Sports and transportation related injuries were most frequent. Body weight and length differs among teenagers, we suggest that teenagers should exercise and play together, not only by age, but also to some extent, to height and weight. Curfew laws, a compulsory bicycle helmet law are other injury reducing measures suggested.
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Preventing tractor rollover fatalities: performance of the NIOSH autoROPS.
Powers JR, Harris JR, Etherton JR, Ronaghi M, Snyder KA, Lutz TJ, Newbraugh BH. Inj Prev 2001; 7(Suppl 1):i54-i58.
Correspondence: John Powers, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, Mailstop G-800, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505-2888, USA. (email: JPowers@cdc.gov).
BACKGROUND: Approximately 132 agricultural tractor overturn fatalities occur per year. The use of rollover protective structures (ROPS), along with seat belts, is the best known method for preventing these fatalities. One impediment to ROPS use, however, is low clearance situations, such as orchards and animal confinement buildings. To address the need for ROPS that are easily adapted to low clearance situations, the Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), developed an automatically deploying, telescoping ROPS (Auto-ROPS). The NIOSH AutoROPS consists of two subsystems. The first is a retractable ROPS that is normally latched in its lowered position for day-to-day use. The second subsystem is a sensor that monitors the operating angle of the tractor. If a rollover condition is detected by the sensor, the retracted ROPS will deploy and lock in the full upright position before ground contact.
OBJECTIVES: To field test these systems.
METHODS: Static load testing and field upset tests of the NIOSH AutoROPS have been conducted in accordance with SAE standard J2194. Additionally, timed trials of the AutoROPS deployment mechanism were completed.
RESULTS: The two post structure consistently deployed in less than 0.3 seconds. No false deployments of the AutoROPS occurred.
CONCLUSIONS: NIOSH has developed an automatically deploying, telescoping ROPS. The device is normally in a compact form that allows use in low-clearance situations but extends automatically to protect the operator in an overturn event.
The association between risk-taking behavior and the use of safety devices in adolescents.
Mathews J, Zollinger T, Przybylski M, Bull M. 45th Annual Proceedings pp. 23-36, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 2001.
Proceedings may be purchased at: http://www.carcrash.org/.
BACKGROUND: One of the major risk factors of unintentional injury is the non-use of available safety devices such as seatbelts and bicycle or motorcycle helmets.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the association between the use of seatbelts, motorcycle helmets, and bicycle helmets and other risk taking behavior (tobacco use, alcohol consumption, cocaine or marijuana use, sexual intercourse, fighting, and weapon carrying) in adolescents.
METHODS: The researchers used a secondary analysis of data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a component of the Youth Behavior Surveillance System established at the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Associations between risky behaviors and the non-use of safety devices were determined from crude and adjusted odds ratios calculated from cross tabulation and logistic regression analyses.
RESULTS: The survey revealed that only 7 percent of the students reported using bike helmets most or all of the time. Approximately 47 percent of the students reported using motorcycle helmets most or all of the time. A large percentage of students reported that they never use helmets while riding bicycles or motorcycles -- 83% and 35% respectively. Risky behavior was highly associated with the non-use of seatbelts. For example those who reported smoking a cigarette on at least ten of the past 30 days had an odds ratio of 3.45 (95% CI 3.15-3.78) for non-use compared to adolescents who didn't smoke. Females were more likely to wear seatbelts than males (OR=0.60 95% CI 0.56-0.65) and blacks were less likely to wear seatbelts than whites (OR=2.18 95% CI 1.85-2.42). Similar results were found for helmet use. -
Booster seats for child passengers: lessons for increasing their use.
Rivara FP, Bennett E, Crispin B, Kruger K, Ebel B, Sarewitz A. Inj Prev 2001; 7(3): 210-213.
Correspondence: Fredrick P. Rivara, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and Department of Pediatrics, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle 98104, USA. (email: fpr@.washington.edu).
BACKGROUND: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for preschool and young school aged children in the United States.
OBJECTIVE: To explore parental knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to use of booster seats in cars for 4-8 year old children.
METHODS: Three focus groups conducted by a professional marketing firm.
RESULTS: Many parents were confused about the appropriate weight and age of children who should be in booster seats; most parents incorrectly identified the age at which it was safe to use a lap-shoulder belt. Legislation was viewed as a positive factor in encouraging use. Cost of seats was frequently cited as a barrier to ownership, as were child resistance, peer pressure from older children, the need to accommodate other children in the vehicle, and the belief that a lap belt was adequate. Messages from health care providers, emergency medical services, or law enforcement personnel were believed to be most effective.
CONCLUSIONS: Campaigns to promote booster seat use should address issues of knowledge about appropriate age and size of the child, cost, inadequacy of lap belts, and resistance to use by the child.
Drowsiness, counter-measures to drowsiness, and the risk of a motor vehicle crash.
Cummings P, Koepsell TD, Moffat JM, Rivara FP. Inj Prev 2001; 7(3): 194-199.
Correspondence: Peter Cummings, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and the Department of Epidemiology, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle 98104-2499, USA. (email: peterc@u.washington.edu).
BACKGROUND: One fourth to one half of drivers report that they have fallen asleep at the wheel at least once. Driving is a complex task and being drowsy limits a drivers ability to drive safely. Knowledge of how different indicators of drowsiness affect crash risk might be useful to drivers.
OBJECTIVES: This study sought to estimate how drowsiness related factors, and factors that might counteract drowsiness, are related to the risk of a crash.
METHODS: Drivers on major highways in a rural Washington county were studied using a matched case-control design. Control (n=199) drivers were matched to drivers in crashes (n=200) on driving location, travel direction, hour, and day of the week.
RESULTS: Crash risk was greater among drivers who felt they were falling asleep (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 14.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4 to 147) and those who drove longer distances (aRR 2.2 for each additional 100 miles, 95% CI 1.4 to 3.3). Risk was also greater among drivers who had slept nine or fewer hours in the previous 48 hours, compared with those who had slept 12 hours. Crash risk was less for drivers who used a highway rest stop (aRR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.0), drank coffee within the last two hours (aRR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9), or played a radio while driving (aRR 0.6, 95% CI .4 to 1.0).
CONCLUSIONS: Drivers may be able to decrease their risk of crashing if they: (1) stop driving if they feel they are falling asleep; (2) use highway rest stops; (3) drink coffee; (4) turn on a radio; (5) get at least nine hours sleep in the 48 hours before a trip; and (6) avoid driving long distances by sharing the driving or interrupting the trip.
Relationship between licensing, registration, and other gun sales laws and the source state of crime guns.
Webster DW, Vernick JS, Hepburn LM. Inj Prev 2001; 7(3): 184-189.
Correspondence: Daniel Webster, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205-1996, USA. (email: dwebster@jhsph.edu).
OBJECTIVES: 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.
CONCLUSIONS: 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.
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Rev. 27-Oct-2001 at 23:06 hours.
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