Health Education and Policies Prevent Injuries

Busting the myth that accidents are inevitable, this month’s Health Promotion Practice highlights innovative health promotion programs and policies that are making a difference in preventing injuries across many high-risk age groups, from infants to older adults. This peer-reviewed focus issue on injury prevention and control is supported, in part, with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center.

Injury is the leading cause of death among people ages 1 to 44 years, causing 150,000 deaths annually and millions of hospitalizations. More years of potential life are lost before age 65 to injuries than to any other conditions including heart disease or cancer.

One study in this journal issue highlights the importance of strong public policies, combined with public health education in reducing childhood injury. Child-resistant packaging prevents unintentional childhood poisonings; flammable sleepwear regulations help prevent childhood burns; child safety seats prevent injuries to child passengers; and bicycle helmet legislation can reduce the number of head injuries according to the CDC authors.

Examples of programs that are bridging the gap between research and practice include the Safety Central program in northwest Washington, which found that educating fourth graders increased their bicycle helmet use for at least 1-2 subsequent years. According to authors Sally Davis Kirsch, PhD, and Nancy Pullen, PhD, The findings reinforce that accessibility to helmets is a necessary supplement to education to produce behavioral change.

To address the disproportional impact of injuries suffered by ethnic minorities and low-income families, the Johns Hopkins Children’s Safety Center in Baltimore provides a resource center where parents and caregivers can learn first-hand, practical child injury prevention methods. In an evaluation of the program, researchers found that those visiting the center were more likely than non-visitors to have safer homes.

At the other end of the age spectrum, older adults have higher rates of crash involvement per mile driven when compared to most other age groups, and they are also more likely to die or be injured as a result of the crash. The Knowledge Enhances Your Safety program in Birmingham, Alabama, goes beyond providing older drivers with facts about safe driving. The program promotes using behavioral skills to translate knowledge into better driving practices. According to study author Beth Stalvey, PhD, this program is unique, in that it focuses on those older drivers who have a history of crash involvement and who cope with vision impairments that elevate crash risk yet remain legally licensed to drive.

This journal issue features public health education programs that have proven to be effective and an essential part of a multifaceted approach to preventing injuries and deaths, said Sue Binder, MD, MPH, Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC, which sponsored the peer-reviewed issue. CDC is proud to work with the Society for Public Health Education to help integrate public health education into injury prevention as we work to achieve a safer nation and world.

About The Author:

Hanna Peterson is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-wellness.com. Obtaining and keeping good health through healthy living, natural healing, great mental health and healthy finances.

	Health Education
Health Education and Policies Prevent Injuries