JOURNAL OF INJURY & VIOLENCE RESEARCH
Year:2020 | Volume:12 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

Background: Injuries constitute around 16% of the total disease burden in India with respect to Disability-Adjusted Life Years. More than two third of these injuries are unintentional and occur at household level. Domestic accidents are preventive and can be drastically reduced by effective measures and safety consciousness. This study aims to find the prevalence of domestic accidents, the household safety practices and their association with socio demographic factors in selected urban wards of Puducherry. Methods: A population-based cross sectional analytical study was conducted in the service area of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Urban Health Centre, Puducherry, in June 2018. Data regarding self-reported domestic accidents in the last one year were collected using a structured questionnaire and assessment of household hazards was done after examining the houses. Results: Among the 578 randomly selected households, 393(68%) belonged to nuclear families, 486(84%) had pucca houses and in 339(59%) overcrowding was present. 59(10. 2%) households reported domestic accidents – of which 25(42%) had adult victims, 22(37%) were due to falls, 27(45%) had upper limb injuries and 25(43%) occurred in kitchen. On assessment of safety practices, 121(21%) houses had doors with stoppers, 394(68%) had items scattered on living room floor while 128(24%) and 160(30%) had grab bars and doormat in bathrooms respectively. Domestic accidents were more prevalent among overcrowded households Prevalence Ratio: 1. 74 ([95% CI: 1. 02 – 2. 98], p = 0. 04). Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic accidents was 10. 2% in the present study. It was reported mostly among the adults and in the kitchen, with falls being the most common cause and upper limbs injury being commonest. Most of the houses had objects lying scattered on the floor hindering movement; and stoppers and grab bars were missing from the doors and bathrooms respectively. Overcrowding was significantly associated with domestic accidents.

Background: The original step in reducing crash severity is recognition of the involved factors. The aim of this paper is to prioritize the factors affecting crashes severity. The current study was carried out in 2018 in Iran. Methods: The present cross-sectional study focuses on factors affecting the crash severity. Due to the complicated nature of traffic accidents, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods can be considered as an effective approach. In this work, the factors affecting a crash severity were identified and then attained factors were scored by ten traffic safety experts. To prioritize and weigh these factors, the Analytic Network Process method and Super Decisions program were used. Results: The results showed four main factors and 60 sub-factors in which the main factors in the order of priority were the safety (the most important sub-factor: speed over the upper limit), the other factors (the most important sub-factor: road user type), the health (the most important sub-factor: drowsiness), and the environment (the most important sub-factor: slipping the road). Conclusions: In order to control the crash severity, the presented factors in this study could help traffic safety experts to prioritize and perform controlling actions.

Background: The present study investigated the social and behavioral correlates of substance use, specifically bang or cocaine or similar drugs among a school-based sample of adolescents in a low-income urban setting Methods: The study utilized data on 2, 176 school-attending adolescents aged 11-16 years in Dar es Salaam (DES) to examine social and behavioral correlates for lifetime substance use. The correlates under investigation included, demographic-age and gender; social-poverty, parent-adolescent relationship; behavioral – truancy, aggressive behavior, injury risk; psychological-depression and suicide ideation. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were then carried out on several variables identified from the 2006 Tanzanian Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) questionnaire. Results: Approximately seven percent of school-attending adolescents (n=144) reported having used an illicit substance at least once during their lifetime. After adding significantly associated covariates into a logistic regression model, we found that only truancy [OR= 2. 29 (CI=1. 07– 4. 90)], suicide ideation [OR=4. 36 (2. 32 – 8. 19)] and parents who had checked their adolescents' homework (OR=0. 56 (CI=0. 32 – 1. 00)] were significantly associated with reported substance use. Conclusions: Our results suggest that health promotion programs should simultaneously target multiple factors associated with substance use behaviors among school-attending adolescents in Dar es Salaam. They should take into account the range of psychosocial characteristics of school-attending adolescents which may be impacted by or result from substance use.

Background: Child pedestrian injuries in China result from crashes not just with cars. We considered how Chinese youth and young adults perceive pedestrian risk from four vehicle types-bicycles, electric bicycles, cars, buses— evaluating perceptions for two factors that may influence pedestrian behavior and risk-taking, perception of road environment risk and responsibility to avoid crashes. Understanding how pedestrians perceive risk, and how these perceptions change as children grow older, could guide prevention efforts. Methods: 383 children (grades 3-4, 5-6, 8) and university students completed self-report surveys. We analyzed overall responses, plus age/gender differences in risk perception and responsibility attribution, across vehicle types and number of vehicles approaching, using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. Results: Overall, larger vehicles were perceived as riskier (p less than. 001). Compared to children, university students perceived bicycles and electric bicycles as less risky (Mean=2. 66 vs. 3. 69, 3. 34 vs. 3. 62, respectively, p less than. 05). Cars and buses were perceived as equally risky across age groups. Across all vehicle types and number of vehicles traversing the road, both children and young adults perceived more pedestrian responsibility to avoid collisions relative to drivers (p less than. 001). Children attributed less personal responsibility to avoid pedestrian-vehicle crashes than university students (e. g., buses odds ratio (OR)=0. 20, p less than. 001; OR=0. 26, p less than. 01; OR=0. 28, p less than. 01 for third/fourth, fifth/sixth, eighth graders, respectively). University students and fifth/sixth graders also identified greater pedestrian responsibility to avoid collisions with multiple vs. one vehicle approaching (e. g., university students/cars OR=4. 17, p less than. 001). Conclusions: We discuss cognitive and perceptual development factors in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood that may contribute to differences in risk perception and responsibility attribution among Chinese pedestrians and suggest future research should explore those processes and subsequently develop evidence-based interventions to reduce pedestrian injury risk.

Background: Sleep quality is one of the main human factors related to urban road traffic crashes. This study aimed at determining the relationship between sleep quality and road traffic crashes in urban drivers. Methods: This correlational study was conducted in Hamadan, a city located in the western part of Iran. The study samples consisted of 309 Hamadan drivers (i. e., 103 with road traffic crashes (RTCs) and 206 without RTCs), who were referred to police centers to change or renew their driving licenses. The data collection tool was a two-part questionnaire including demographic information and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The questionnaire was filled out in a self-administered manner. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS-16 software and applying logistic regression, Fisher’ s exact test, and Chi-square test. Results: The comparison of sleep quality scores between two groups, using the adjusted logistic regression test, showed a statistically significant difference between them (P = 0. 019). This means that the sleep quality of drivers without RTCs was 1. 8 times better than drivers with RTCS (OR=1. 8; 95% CI, 1. 1-3. 07). Conclusions: There was a significant association between poor sleep quality and the occurrence of RTCs in urban drivers. As a result, it is recommended paying more attention to the sleep quality of urban drivers to prevent and control RTCs.

Background: All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have become popular for recreation use in recent years. Texas has had more ATV related fatalities than any other state in the nation, with rural Northeast Texas having even higher rates of injuries. There is limited data examining the relationship between ATV injuries and the length of hospital stay, as well as hospital costs. This paper examines both issues in children as well as adults. Methods: The regional trauma registry was analyzed for all ATV related injuries between January 2011-October 2016. Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale and if they are seen at a Level I Trauma center are predictive for both hospital length of stay and charges. Results: Length of Stay was predicted positively by Injury Severity Score, Emergency Department Respiration Rate and facility at which patients were treated and negatively by Glasgow Coma Scale. Hospital charges were predicted positively by age, Injury Severity Score, facility of treatment, means of transportation, and Emergency Department pulse and negatively by Glasgow Coma Scale. Conclusions: The study found that vital signs can be useful in predicting length of stay and hospital charges. This study not only confirms the findings of other studies regarding what predictors can be used, but expands the research into rural traumatic injuries. It is hoped that this data can help contribute to the development of algorithms to predict which patients will be most likely to require resource intensive treatment.

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are an important public health problem around the world, with the majority of RTIs occurring in low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to determine disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of RTIs in the northeast of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used the death registration system to calculate years of life lost (YLL) due to RTIs. To determine the years lost due to disability (YLD), hospital records of all people injured in road accidents were used. To estimate DALY, we used YLD and YLL to calculate DALY according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2003 guideline and the age/sex composition of the population was taken from the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) in 2016. All collected data entered into Excel software and performed calculations. Results: Our findings showed that a total of 3403 RTIs and 132 deaths were recorded in 2016. The DALY was 38 per 1, 000 of which 26. 9 per 1, 000 were related to YLL and 11. 1 per 1, 000 were related to YLD. The highest YLL rate in both sexes was in the 15-29 and 30-44 age groups with 49. 8 per 1, 000 and 46. 0 per 1, 000, respectively. This reflects a sex ratio of DALY in males (57. 7 per 1, 000) to females (8. 6 per 1, 000) was 6. 7. Conclusions: It seems to be necessary, appropriate effective intervention programs and periodic evaluations are required regarding prevention and reducing traffic accidents mostly in middle-aged men.

Background: Fatal intimate partner violence occurs among adolescents, which is often when first exposure to intimate partner violence occurs in the United States. However, research mainly examines intimate partner violence-related fatalities between adult intimate partners. Such findings document that non-intimate partners, corollary victims, are at risk for violence during intimate partner violence incidents, as well. Research examining fatal intimate partner violence among adolescents is scant. This study informs public health of the extent and circumstances of fatal adolescent intimate partner violence by quantifying the burden across a five-year span; describing fatal victims by demographics and precipitating circumstances; and examining differences by victim type. Methods: This study used data from 17 states of the United States in the National Violent Death Reporting System to examine fatal intimate partner violence-related incidents involving at least one adolescent intimate partner (15-19 years of age) from 2011-2015. IPV-related death cases were guided by the intimate partner violence surveillance criteria prescribed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Decedents were subdivided into intimate partner victims, perpetrator victims, and corollary victims. Victims were described by demographics, victim descriptors, and precipitating circumstances of death. Annual trends and descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: There were 93 intimate partner violence-related fatal incidents among adolescents with 116 decedents. A firearm was the predominant weapon. Crises, arguments, jealousy, and physical fights were common precipitating circumstances. Corollary victims represented 18% of all victims, 65% were intimate partner victims, and 17% perpetrator victims. Corollary victims were primarily linked to the suspect by other intimate partners, and friends and acquaintances. Conclusions: Intimate partner violence is a preventable public health problem. This study documents that intimate partner violence among adolescents can result in deaths of intimate partners and corollary victims. Effective prevention should begin in early adolescence and incorporate shared and protective risk factors to have the greatest impact on adolescent IPV.