Continuing its work reaching policymakers and their staffs with the message that injury prevention can save lives and money, each member of Congress received a packet of injury prevention materials on Monday, including a cover letter, a copy of the Roll Call ad, a fact sheet on injury prevention and health care reform, and the accompanying press release. The ad was signed by Andrea Gielen, director of the Center, on behalf of 21 different research universities, professional organizations and advocacy groups all committed to injury prevention. “Health care reform represents an unprecedented opportunity for reducing the burden of injuries,” said Dr. Gielen. “This is why it’s absolutely critical policy makers understand that by incorporating injury prevention into health care reform, lives and money will be saved.”
A new paper co-authored by Center faculty member Susan P. Baker finds that mandatory alcohol testing programs for truck and bus drivers have contributed to a significant reduction in alcohol involvement in fatal crashes. The work was done in collaboration with researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York. Based on a study sample of nearly 70,000 motor carrier (heavy trucks and buses) drivers and over 83,000 non–motor-carrier (car) drivers, the estimated net effect attributed to the mandatory alcohol testing programs for drivers of heavy trucks and buses was a 23% reduced risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes. This is the first study to comprehensively evaluate the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, which made alcohol testing mandatory for transportation employees with safety sensitive functions. Findings from the study are published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The Center for Injury Research and Policy is among a large coalition of research universities, professional organizations and advocacy groups that have joined together to urge Congress to include injury prevention in health care reform. To reach policymakers and their staffs with the message that research based injury prevention can save lives and money, the group is running an ad in the September 8th “Health Care Hits the Road” theme issue of Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill. It is the first time these groups have come together to educate policymakers on the significant burden injuries pose to the health care system. To access the full press release, please click here. To see a copy of the ad, access links to the partner organizations, and learn specific examples of how to include injury prevention in health care reform, please click here.
A new paper authored by Susan P. Baker, MPH, a professor with the Injury Center, finds deaths from unintentional injuries are increasing among many groups, with a threefold risk in poisoning among middle-age white women. The study also found the death rate from falls increased 38 percent for white men and 48 percent for white women 65 and older. “The large increases in the number of deaths attributable to poisoning and falls underscore the need for more research on the specific circumstances involved,” said Professor Baker. “While we don’t know the cause behind the recent increase in falls mortality, it appears that the increase in poisonings is largely due to prescription drugs. National prevention efforts are needed to control the abuse of prescription drugs and limit access.” Please click here to access the full article. A link to the press release can be found here. An Op-Ed authored by Center director Andrea Gielen and Alicia Samuels, the director of communications for the Center, has been published in the Health Care Blog, one of the most well-read blogs on health care. The piece uses the recent falls of Hillary Clinton, Pope Benedict XVI, Barbara Mikulski and Sonia Sotomayor to highlight the public health burden of falls, and makes the case for incorporating fall prevention strategies into health care reform. “Despite the recent falls of these very high profile leaders, we weren’t seeing anything written on the public health burden of falls or injuries. Similarly, the lack of attention to falls and other injuries in health care reform is alarming. Our hope is that this Op-Ed will raise awareness among the general public and lawmakers of the prevalence of falls, particularly among the elderly, and urge them to press for solutions we know exist.” Please click here to access the article.
On August 2, the CARES Mobile Safety Center was featured at the Israel Baptist Church’s Community Festival in East Baltimore. One of the event organizers learned of the Safety Center through a PSA that aired on the Heaven 600 radio station. WBFF, the local Fox affiliate, attended the event and showcased CARES during their evening newscast. In July, the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, which runs the Safety Center in partnership with the Baltimore City Fire Department, launched a city-wide advertising campaign using radio, bus shelter and billboard ads to increase awareness of the van’s availability for local events. “We’re very pleased with the response to the ads we’ve received from the community,” said Kira McGroarty, MPH, project director for the CARES Safety Center. “We will continue to conduct community outreach to ensure Baltimore City residents are aware of resources to help prevent injuries in the home.” Current operating costs for the safety center are covered through a generous three-year grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Since receiving funding from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in January 2008, approximately 4,800 individuals in Baltimore have visited the safety center. The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy is one of four injury control research centers (ICRC) nationwide selected for funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (CDC’s Injury Center). Injury Control Research Centers conduct research in all three core phases of injury control (prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation) and serve as training centers as well as information centers for the public and health professionals. The Hopkins Center was one of the first centers for excellence in injury research funded by the CDC and has been in existence since 1987. The work of the Hopkins Injury Center spans the spectrum of unintentional and intentional injury across the lifespan and across the globe, with a strong focus on translation research as well as education and outreach to promote effective programs and policies. “We are thrilled our 5-year competitive renewal was chosen for funding,” said Andrea Gielen, ScD, ScM, Director of the Injury Center. “The funding will allow us to continue our lifesaving work bridging the gap between injury-related research and practice locally, nationally and internationally. On behalf of everyone at the Injury Center, I would like to thank CDC for their continued support.” The center was awarded $4.87 million over 5 years. Dr. Ileana Arias, Director of the CDC’s Injury Center added “Connecting research to communities is a primary focus for CDC and we are pleased to announce the new ICRCs, as well as those renewed. I consider each to be a part of this critical research network. Their work will fill a critical gap and can help shape a better understanding of how to improve the lives of those affected to help them live to their full potential.” In addition to Johns Hopkins, the University of North Carolina was renewed. The two newly designated ICRCs are Brown Center for Violence and Injury Prevention, Washington University, St Louis, MO and Emory Center for Injury Control, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Each will be funded for five years. For more information on the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, please click here.
On Friday, June 26th, the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore City Fire Department, and the Center for Injury Research and Policy hosted a press conference at the Oldetown Fire Station to raise awareness of childhood injuries. Along with Kira McGroarty, MPH, project director for the CARES Mobile Safety Center, the panel shared helpful tips for preventing accidents in the home, lead poisoning education and fire prevention strategies. The press release can be accessed here. Several Baltimore outlets covered the event, including the Baltimore Sun.
In partnership with CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield and the Baltimore City Fire Department, the Injury Center has launched a city-wide advertising campaign to raise awareness of the Johns Hopkins Children ARE Safe (CARES) Mobile Safety Center. Radio and billboard ads will spread the message that the safety center is available to visit community and neighborhood events to provide free, personalized injury prevention education and low-cost safety products. The ad campaign is scheduled to run for 4 weeks and is the first time the groups have used radio and billboards to promote this unique community resource. Because injuries disproportionally affect low-income families, the ads will be concentrated in neighborhoods with high poverty. “The generous grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, which supports our mobile safety center and these outreach activities, allows us to make Baltimore City residents aware that resources are available to communities throughout the city to help prevent injuries,” said Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. “While injuries are the number one cause of death in childhood through early adulthood, we know that many could be prevented by better access to life saving safety products and effective injury prevention education.” To see the complete press release, please click here.
A new paper authored by Center faculty member Sue Baker, MPH finds that an emergency rule intended to reduce the number of deaths and injuries associated with Hawaiian air tours was followed by a 47 percent reduction in sightseeing crashes. However, the proportion of crashes that resulted in lives lost actually increased after the rule change due to an increase in crashes that resulted from poor visibility, which tend to be exceptionally fatal. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 71 in 1994 in response to a spate of crashes of helicopter sightseeing tours that year. The regulation established minimum flight altitudes and clearances from terrain, emphasized passenger safety precautions, mandated performance plans prior to each flight, and required flotation equipment or the wearing of life preservers on flights beyond the shoreline. “Our data suggest the FAA should reconsider the Rule’s clause that established a minimum flying altitude of fifteen hundred feet, as we know higher altitudes are associated with more cloud cover,” said Professor Susan P. Baker, director of the study’s research and professor with the Injury Center. Clouds obscuring mountain peaks and passes are particularly common in Hawaii. The report is published in the July issue of Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. For the complete press release, please click here. The Johns Hopkins Children's Safety Center, along with center staff member Stephanie Parsons, was featured prominently in WMAR TV’s recent segment on car seat safety. WMAR is the ABC affiliate in Baltimore. Stephanie, a health educator and certified child passenger safety technician, conducted three different car seat inspections on camera and informed viewers on the importance of having their car seats installed and inspected by a professional. The story’s online component directs viewers to the Center’s Website for more information on car seat inspections. To watch the video, please click here. Physical activity in children is often encouraged without first measuring the risk for injury and implementing strategies to reduce those risks, according to a new essay published in Preventing Chronic Disease authored by Keshia Pollack, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor with the Injury Center. While many studies have highlighted the benefits of physical activity for youth, little attention has been paid to the importance of preventing injuries during physical activity. “As interventions are developed to increase physical activity among children by promoting the use of playgrounds, bicycles, and participation in sports, information about preventing injuries during these activities is scarce,” said Dr. Pollack. “This is alarming because injuries are a reason that people stop participating in physical activity.” The paper reports that parents often cite both traffic safety concerns and crime as reasons for their children not walking to school and participating in outdoor activity. To Pollack, the situation represents an opportunity for injury prevention and childhood obesity professionals. “Both fields share a common goal of improving health, and public health programs to improve child health should therefore be coordinated. By teaming together, we will pave the way for new partnerships, stretch scarce public health resources, and tackle these serious public health threats facing our nation’s children.”
While policies to prevent and control injury can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of researchers, direct and regular communication between researchers and legislators is uncommon. A new paper published in Injury Prevention co-authored by Center researchers Keshia Pollack, PhD, MPH and Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH describes their innovative work volunteering as staff for Maryland Delegate Dan Morhaim during the 2008 legislative session, in which they made significant contributions to formulating injury prevention legislation. The paper highlights their roles in the deliberative processes surrounding two legislative proposals- one concerned with all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety and the other with child passenger seat requirements. “Throughout our experiences with the legislature, we interacted with the lead sponsors of the bills, communicated the most current and rigorous research to them, attended Committee hearings, and provided testimony,” said Dr. Pollack, an assistant professor with the Injury Center. “In this way, we were able to ensure research discoveries are shared and realized by the people whose lives will be improved through injury prevention policies.” Explaining their role in the child passenger safety seat bill (SB 789/HB1312)), the researchers described how their testimony focused on 5 key points: the strong empirical evidence supporting booster seat effectiveness, the recommendations of several national organizations, Maryland’s low rate of booster seat use and the role of legislation in increasing compliance, the ability of parents to understand the (then) current guidelines, and how the proposed law would allow the state to compete for new federal funds. “It was extremely gratifying that despite a last-minute effort by opponents to weaken the bill, the science ultimately prevailed,” said Dr. Frattaroli, also an assistant professor with the Injury Center. “When we as researchers are able to move the science into the policy arena, lives can be saved and the true potential of the field of injury prevention can be realized.” The paper also includes strategies to encourage researchers to engage in more direct roles in the policymaking process, such as the need for institutions to assess the contributions that researchers make to the policy process, and to include those metrics as part of the promotion process. To access the complete article, please click here.
A new report by researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy finds that media ignore the health consequences of drinking and driving among young celebrities. Center researchers analyzed news coverage following the drinking and driving (DUI) arrests of celebrities—Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan—and found that only 4 percent of the reports made any mention of injury or potential injury from the DUI events. In 2005, alcohol-related crashes resulted in 16,885 deaths in the U.S. “Media are an important source of information about the consequences of alcohol consumption, and influence how individuals define acceptable behavior,” said Katherine Smith, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health, Behavior and Society and Center for Injury Research and Policy. “While the celebrity DUI stories raised awareness of the issue of drinking and driving among young people, an opportunity to educate this audience on solutions to prevent DUI was missed.” The results of the study will be published in the May 2009 issue of Alcohol and Alcoholism and are available on the journal’s website in advance of the print publication. To view the complete press release, please click here.
New research from the Center for Injury Research and Policy finds that mobile safety centers are effective tools for reaching families with lifesaving injury prevention education and safety products. While mobile vans are frequently used for providing asthma and dental health information and services in urban communities, this is the first study to document the benefits of mobile units for injury prevention services. Andrea Gielen, ScD, director of the Center, along with her colleagues, analyzed data collected between 2004-2006 from individuals who visited the Johns Hopkins CARES (Children ARE Safe- Mobile Safety Center,) a partnership program with the Baltimore City Fire Department and other local organizations. Among study participants, 96 percent reported learning something new as a result of their visit to the mobile safety center, and 98 percent reported they would recommend the mobile safety center services to a friend or family member. “Injuries are the number one cause of death among children in the U.S., and disproportionally affect poor and minority children,” said Dr. Gielen. “Our findings document that mobile safety centers can effectively reach community members with information on how to prevent injuries in their homes, as well as deliver low-cost safety products directly to families.” Previous research showed that access barriers such as lack of availability in convenient locations and high costs are particular problems for low-income families in using products such as car seats and bike helmets that are proven to reduce injuries and save lives. To access the article published in the April 2009 issue of Injury Prevention, click here. For more information on the Johns Hopkins Children ARE Safe (CARES) Mobile Safety Center, please click here. A new paper authored by researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy finds that mothers with high exposure to neighborhood violence are more likely to rate their health as poor and to report negative health outcomes, including sleep behaviors. Specifically, the research found that mothers who experienced exposure to high neighborhood violence had greater odds of reporting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, and also were more likely to report interrupted sleep. These findings suggest that neighborhood violence may negatively impact a mother’s ability to fully care for and protect their children. Interestingly, while 20 percent of the mothers in the study were classified as experiencing the highest level of neighborhood violence, only 12 percent classified themselves in the lowest category of perceived neighborhood safety. Previous research has indicated that mothers may report higher ratings of neighborhood safety to self-validate their decision to remain in a violent neighborhood, perhaps in part due to their inability to move to a new neighborhood. The study is published in the April issue of the Journal of Urban Health. The lead author is Sara Lindstrom Johnson, PhD, who completed her Doctorate with the Center in 2009. Additional authors are: Barry S. Solomon, Wendy C. Shields, Eileen M. McDonald, Lara B. McKenzie, and Andrea C. Gielen. The complete abstract to the article can be found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19343500.
On April 1, close to fifty students, faculty, and injury control professionals paid tribute to the late Daniel J. Raskin by attending an annual lecture endowed by Danny’s mother, the late Vivian Raskin, in honor of her son’s life work. Raskin was a highly skilled human factors investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board and a tireless advocate for transportation safety and injury prevention. He was killed as a volunteer firefighter in 1990 by a preventable explosion of faulty equipment. The goal of the symposium is to educate public health professionals and the broader community about current research, policy and programs to reduce injury. The symposium, “Surviving Airplane Crashes: Miracles or Science” featured two former colleagues of Daniel, Nora Marshall, Chief of Human Performance and Survival at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and Robert S. Dodd, ScD, MS, Chief of Safety Studies and Statistical Analysis at NTSB. Ms. Marshall spoke about “What’s New in Accident Survival” and Dr. Dodd discussed "Crash Survival Improvements and Politics". The Center for Injury Research and Policy hosts the annual event. Sue Baker, MPH, a professor with the Center, commented on how the theme of the lecture paralleled Danny’s work in injury prevention. “Nora and Bob both spoke about the opportunities for survival following a plane crash, a topic that doesn’t receive much attention in the press. By giving examples of the types of changes required to prevent future aviation-related deaths, they taught us all a great deal about the kinds of next steps we need to pursue to save lives.” For more information on the NTSB, click here.
Two individuals affiliated with the Center for Injury Research and Policy were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the field of injury prevention at the annual meeting of The Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR), held March 3-6 in Atlanta, GA. SAVIR is devoted to promoting scholarly activity in injury control and addressing issues relevant to the prevention, acute care and rehabilitation of traumatic injury. Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, was awarded the first-ever SAVIR President’s Award in recognition of her dedication and leadership in the organization and in the field of violence and injury prevention. In addition to serving on the board of SAVIR, Shannon played a key role in organizing the 2009 annual conference, which drew close to 250 injury control researchers, practitioners, and advocates from across the country. Also recognized for her work was Jennifer Piver-Renna, a doctoral student with the Center. Jennifer received the Best Student Abstract award for her research exploring screening and brief interventions in trauma centers. This abstract was part of the research Jennifer did for her dissertation with the Center, which she recently completed. “On behalf of the Injury Center, I congratulate Shannon and Jennifer on their achievements,” said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Injury Center. “We look forward to continuing our involvement with SAVIR when we host the 2013 annual meeting.” Additional information on the 2013 meeting in Baltimore, MD will be forthcoming. For more information on SAVIR, please click here.
Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy was a featured presenter at the 9th annual meeting American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) which took place March 9-11 in Hilton Head, SC. AAHB serves as a professional society for health behavior scholars, and promotes the application of behavioral science research to practice in order to improve the public's health. Dr. Gielen, an elected Fellow of the Academy, was one of three speakers invited for the session on knowledge translation, "Sustaining Health Behavior Changes in the Real World: Translational Approaches". Dr. Gielen’s presentation, “Translation Research in Child Injury Prevention: Case Study of Serving Low Income Urban Families”, focused on her research in Baltimore with Center faculty Frattarolli, McDonald, Shields and Center alumni Lara (Trifiletti)McKenzie and Maria Bulzacchelli. Research translation is an emerging and important priority for the Center. “Because science has taught us so much about how to prevent injuries, the real opportunity to reduce the burden of injury lies in the translation of research into action,” said Andrea. “We need to work with communities to deliver effective programs, products, and policies that make a difference to those who need it most.”
Adnan Hyder, MD, PhD, MPH and Jacquelyn C. Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN, have been named global health research ambassadors by Research! America’s Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research. Named for the Honorable Paul G. Rogers (1921-2008), former Florida Congressman and and Research! America chair emeritus, the Society works to increase awareness of and make the case for greater U.S. investment in research to fight diseases and injuries that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest nations. Research! America works with the Ambassadors to maximize the effectiveness of their outreach to policymakers, opinion leaders and the media.
Both Drs. Campbell and Hyder are experts in their fields -- domestic and intimate partner violence (IPV) and the impact of injuries and violence as a public health problem in the developing world, respectively. Dr. Hyder is Associate Professor in the Department of International Health and Dr. Campbell is Professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. As core faculty in the Injury Center, both have contributed greatly to the Center’s mission to reduce the burden of injury and violence. Joined by the other ambassadors, they will meet with policymakers to make the case for an increased U.S. investment in global health research on injuries. “It’s terrific to see injuries and violence so well-represented by these distinguished scholars,” said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy. “This is a great opportunity to advocate for enhanced US support for global health in general, and in particular, for the prevention of injuries and violence around the world.” For more information on the Global Health Research Ambassadors, please click here
A new study co-authored by Patricia Mahoney, MA, research associate, and Andrea Gielen, ScD, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy, and published in "Violence and Victims" quantitatively addresses the transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) stages of change for women's experience of ending abuse within intimate relationships. The TTM conceptualizes behavior change as a process that occurs in five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. The underlying premise is that people in different points of the behavior change process can benefit from different types of interventions tailored to their stage of readiness. It is estimated that more than 5 million women are affected by intimate partner violence each year in the U.S. The authors found that compared to women in action and maintenance for leaving an abusive relationship, a higher proportion of women who are categorized into preaction stages would like informational resources, whereas a large proportion of women in maintenance for leaving an abusive relationship would like a chance to talk with a peer advocate. The results also support the significant role relationships with friends, family and healthcare professionals play, as well as the importance of information distribution in keeping women safe. "This work adds to the body of literature on defining stages of change for IPV victims," said study co-author Patricia Mahoney. "Further research is necessary to develop tailored interventions to most effectively assist women in moving forward on the path to safety." On February 18th, the Baltimore City Fire Department, the Baltimore City Health Department, and the Center for Injury Research and Policy came together to teach Baltimore families how to reduce their risk of injury from home fires. Over fifteen hundred house fires occur each year in Baltimore, and the majority of these fires are preventable. This marks the first time the Center has partnered with these two groups to provide fire prevention education to the community, and was part of the Baltimore City Health Department's Prevention Wednesday public education campaign. In addition to collaborating on an educational flyer focusing on steps to take to reduce the likelihood of injury from home fires, the three groups hosted a press conference featuring representatives from each organization. Eileen McDonald, MS, Associate Scientist with the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Director of The Johns Hopkins Children's Safety Centers, spoke on behalf of the Injury Center and reminded all Baltimore City residents that having smoke alarms without batteries is the same as not having alarms at all. This message is important because Center research found that while 90 percent of homes have smoke alarms, 50 percent of the alarms did not function properly. Eileen also spoke about the referral services offered through the Center's three Safety Centers. Underscoring the importance of partnerships, Eileen later stated that "forming and developing collaborations with other community groups is an integral part of what we do to deliver on our mission to reduce the burden of injuries. By working together, we are able to accomplish more than we are working alone." To see an example of how local media covered the event, please click on the following link http://wjz.com/seenon/fires.baltimore.2.938234.html Jennifer Piver-Renna, a doctoral student with the Center for Injury Research and Policy, was recently awarded a student fellowship in Injury Prevention from the Society for Public Health Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fellowship is designed to support the training of a new generation of injury prevention researchers and practitioners who work in the behavioral sciences. As part of the award, Jennifer also received a stipend to support her dissertation research examining the adoption and implementation of alcohol screaning, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) programs in Mid-Atlantic Level 1 trauma centers. "Jennifer's case study will yield new insights into how hospitals can best implement SBIRT programs, which help reduce injuries by making alcohol screening a routine part of medical care," said Andrea Gielen, ScD, ScM, director of the Center and Jennifer's advisor. "On behalf of the Injury Center, I congratulate her on this impressive recognition." On December 16 the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health teamed up with CareFirst, Baltimore City Fire Department, and the Herring Run Head Start for the first "Give the Gift of Safety" Holiday Safety Health Fair. The event featured the CARES mobile safety center , which was specially outfitted to reflect the risks that household items typically associated with the holidays, such as candles and holiday decorations, pose to families. In addition to the mobile safety center, the health fair also provided free home safety kits to all families, raffle giveaways of safety products and activities that focused on injury prevention. Read More>>> The first report, authored by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, focuses on the burden of unintentional injuries globally. The World Report on Child Injury Prevention finds that unintentional injuries kill 830,000 children every year, and that 95 percent of all injuries to children occur in poor and middle-income countries. The report provides the first comprehensive global assessment of unintentional childhood injuries and prescribes measures to prevent them. It concludes that if proven prevention measures were adopted everywhere, at least 1,000 children's lives could be saved every day. Click here to view the first report. The second report, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "CDC Childhood Injury Report: Patterns of Unintentional Injuries Among 0-19 Year Olds in the United States, 2000-2006," provides an overview of child injuries related to drowning, falls, fires or burns, transportation-related injuries, poisoning, and suffocation, among other causes. The report finds that on average, 12,175 children 0 to 19 years of age died each year in the United States from an unintentional injury, and that injuries due to transportation were the leading cause of death for children. Click here to view the second report. "Not only do these reports raise the awareness about the magnitude, risk factors and impact of child injuries globally," noted Center director Andrea Gielen, ScD, ScM, "their call to action is clear: Because much is known about how to prevent injuries and improve trauma outcomes, we must act now to reduce the burden of child injury." Children who are overweight or obese are over two and a half times more likely to suffer injuries to their upper and lower extremities following a motor vehicle crash compared with normal weight children, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy. Overweight and obese children were overall more likely to experience injury to any body part following a crash; however this difference was not statistically significant. This is the first study to look at impact of body mass index on older kids involved in car crashes. Read More>>> On October 28th, faculty member and past Center director Susan Baker received the American Public Health Association's highest award in Injury Control, the Injury Control Distinguished Career Award. This award is in recognition of her outstanding dedication and leadership in injury control and emergency health services with contributions and achievements that have a significant and long-term impact on the field. "Simply stated, Sue helped to put scientific study and prevention of injuries on the map", said Jon Vernick, JD, MPH, deputy director of the Center. "From her research on children and automobile crashes which provided the scientific basis for all U.S. states passing child passenger protection laws, to her pioneering work in aviation safety, the impact of Sue's research has undoubtedly reduced the burden of injury in the U.S. and abroad. On behalf of the Injury Center, I congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition". Center faculty member and former director Susan P. Baker has been named a Public Health Hero by Research!America, the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance. The honor comes in recognition of her research in injury prevention and driving safety which has resulted in national passenger protection laws and thousands of lives saved. In order to bring recognition to the public health professionals who work tirelessly every day to protect us, Research!America designates the Monday before Thanksgiving as Public Health Thank You Day. Sue is one of eight individuals selected to be highlighted this year in honor of their tremendous accomplishments in the field of public health. On Public Health Thank You Day, "we recognize our 'health protection heroes' who work tirelessly every day to promote the health of people of all ages," said Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director. "The 14,000 public health professionals at the CDC.... say 'thank you' to each of these heroes on the frontlines of health. As a result of their dedication, we are all able to live healthier, safer, and longer lives." More information on Public Health Thank You Day and Research!America's Public Health Heroes can be found at the Research!America Website. Samantha L. Illangasekare, MPH, a PhD candidate in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society and advisee of Center director Andrea Gielen, has recently been awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral Fellowship National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The objective of the Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship is to provide support for promising doctoral candidates who will be performing dissertation research and training in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes during the tenure of the award. Samantha's research will describe for the first time the syndemic of violence, substance abuse and HIV among low income urban women. Working with faculty affiliated with the Lighthouse Studies at Peer Point, a community-based research center within the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Ms. Illangasekare will recruit and interview women to determine the prevalence and mental health impacts of these co-occurring conditions. "Samantha's work will yield new insights into intervention opportunities to reduce the burden of intimate partner violence and improve women's health", said Andrea Gielen, ScD, ScM, director of the Center. "On behalf of the Injury Center, I congratulate her on this impressive accomplishment and recognition from NIMH." The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has awarded dissertation grants to Hopkins public health students Sarah Lindstrom and Susan Ghanbarpour. These represent the only dissertation funding awarded this year by NCIPC. Ms. Lindstrom is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society and advisee of Center director Andrea Gielen. Her dissertation work aims to understand what factors of the school, social and physical environments encourage or discourage violence from occurring at school, and how these factors contribute to the occurrence and severity of that violence. Ms. Lindstrom is using concept mapping, an innovative research method rarely used in injury research, to explore these issues with samples of students recruited in Baltimore City. Ms Ghanbarpour is a DrPH student in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health working with faculty member Daniel Webster's Center-funded intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention trial. Her dissertation is an outgrowth of this project and is partially supported by the Center. Her research seeks to answer 4 main questions on IPV: 1. What safety behaviors do women in abusive relationships know about and practice, and how effective do they believe them to be? 2. What are the issues and circumstances that influence women's decisions to practice particular safety strategies? 3. What did women think about a risk assessment and safety planning intervention they received? 4. What are the critical elements of a customizable safety planning tool designed for use by professionals who serve IPV victims? "Training the next generation of leaders in injury prevention and policy is an essential ingredient to the continued success of our efforts in reducing injury and its impact on society," said Andrea Gielen ScD, ScM, director of the Center. "On behalf of everyone at the Injury Center, I congratulate Sarah and Susan on their well-deserved recognition from NCIPC." Contrary to popular belief, grandparent care is not associated with more childhood injuries, according to a new report from the Center for Injury Research and Policy. In fact, for working parents, having grandparents as caregivers can cut the risk of childhood injury roughly in half. The study is among the first to examine the relationship between grandparents' care and childhood injury rates. The results are published in the November 2008 issue of Pediatrics. Read More>>> The rate of suicide in the United States has increased for the first time in a decade, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy. The increase in the overall suicide rate between 1999 and 2005 was due primarily to an increase in suicides among whites aged 40-64, with white middle-age women experiencing the largest annual increase. Read More>>> Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has received a $1 million Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to support research to help reduce the number of firefighter fatalities due to heart attacks. The Bloomberg School is collaborating with the National Volunteer Fire Council in this research effort. Project director, Keshia Pollack, PhD, assistant professor with the Department of Health Policy and Management, will work with her team and NVFC to identify barriers that limit the implementation of wellness and fitness interventions among firefighters and fire departments in Maryland and Arizona. Read more>>> The Home Safety Council awarded the Home Safety Research Award to Center for Injury Research & Policy Director Andrea Gielen, ScD, ScM, at its annual Salute to Home Safety Awards Dinner, June 5, 2008, in Washington D.C. The Home Safety Research Award honors individuals whose research on injury prevention contributes to reducing deaths and injuries from falls, poisonings, fire and burns, drowning and airway obstruction. | 
