Association between the inception of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and changes in pediatric unintentional injury rates

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.

Injury in the First Year of Life: Risk Factors and Solutions for High-Risk Families

“…Community-based injury prevention programs, such as the Harlem Hospital program in New York City [21], also have demonstrated success in decreasing injuries in children. Decrease in childhood injuries was also reported in Shelby County, Tennessee after implementation of the SafeKids program [22]. All pediatric health care professionals should promote practices in injury prevention, especially on alcohol use and physical discipline counseling.…”

Community based prevention programs targeting all injuries for children: Table 1

“…21 Outcome data were based on severe injuries presenting to the only children's hospital in the county from 1990-97. After controlling for secular trends in hospital admission rates and demographics, a 23% reduction for males was noted but no significant reduction for females was found.…”

Injury and Health Among Toddlers in Vulnerable Families

“…Decreases in childhood injuries were also reported in Shelby County, TN, after implementation of the SafeKids program. 34 Finally, we think that there are intimate relationships among injury, health, and later childhood outcomes. Both injured and uninjured children in this cohort are disadvantaged with respect to SES and other variables, but mothers of injured children were more likely to rate their child's health as poor or fair; we think this difference may reflect the effect of injury on health.…”