A brief history of Forging New Frontiers, the annual conference of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids.

The Injury Free Coalition for Kids Annual Conference has contributed to the dissemination of information pertaining to the development of the field of injury prevention. A content analysis was completed using conference agendas used during the span of 2005-2015, finding that more than 398 presentations covering a wide variety of injuries have taken place. Published work has appeared in the Journal of Trauma and there has been recognition of people who have contributed to the development of the field. Forging New Frontiers is a valuable tool for attendees to exchange information about injury prevention.

Epidemiology of bone fracture across the age span in blacks and whites.

BACKGROUND: Gender and racial disparities in injury mortality have been well established, but less is known regarding differences in fracture-related hospitalizations across the age span. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of annual incident fracture hospital admissions used statewide acute care hospital discharge data (Statewide Program and Research Cooperative System) for non-Hispanic White (n = 138,763) and non-Hispanic Black (n = 19,588) residents of New York State between 2000 and 2002. US census data with intercensal estimates were used to ascertain the population at risk. Gender- and race-specific incident fracture was calculated in 5-year age intervals. The χ test was used to analyze categorical variables. RESULTS: Mechanisms of injury vary by race and gender in their relative contribution to injury-related fractures across the age span. Black males exhibited higher fracture incidence until approximately age 62, while incidence in women diverged around age 45. Total motor vehicle traffic-related fracture hospitalization is bimodal in Whites but not in Blacks. Over the life span, all groups exhibited bimodal pedestrian fractures with pedestrian fractures accounting for 8.8% and 2.5% of all fractures in Blacks and Whites, respectively. Racial disparities were present from preschool through age 70. Violence-related fractures were 10 times higher in Blacks, accounting for 18.2% of hospitalizations. Black males exhibit higher fracture incidence due to violence by age 5 and higher gun violence by age 10; both remain elevated through age 75. CONCLUSIONS: Despite historical studies demonstrating higher bone density in Blacks, this study found racial disparities with increased fracture risk in both Black children and adults across most nonfall-related injury mechanisms examined.

A comparative analysis of serious injury and illness among homeless and housed low income residents of New York City.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of effective primary, secondary, and tertiary injury prevention in homeless populations is complex and could be greatly aided by an improved understanding of contributing factors. METHODS: Injury and health conditions were examined for hospitalized New York City homeless persons (n = 326,073) and low socioeconomic status (SES) housed residents (n = 1,202,622) using 2000 to 2002 New York statewide hospital discharge data (Statewide Program and Research Cooperative System). Age- and gender-adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated within age groups of 0.1 years to 9 years, 10 years to 19 years, 20 years to 64 years, and ≥65 years, with low SES housed as the comparison group. RESULTS: Comorbid conditions, injury, and injury mechanisms varied by age, gender, race or ethnicity, and housing status. Odds of unintentional injury in homeless versus low SES housed were higher in younger children aged 0 years to 9 years (1.34, 1.27-1.42), adults (1.13, 1.09-1.18), and elderly (1.25, 1.20-1.30). Falls were increased by 30% in children, 14% in adolescents or teenagers, and 47% in the elderly. More than one-quarter (26.9%) of fall hospitalizations in homeless children younger than 5 years were due to falls from furniture with more than threefold differences observed in both 3 year and 4 year olds (p = 0.0001). Several comorbid conditions with potential to complicate injury and postinjury care were increased in homeless including nutritional deficiencies, infections, alcohol and drug use, and mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Although homelessness presents unique, highly complex social and health issues that tend to overshadow the need for and the value of injury prevention, this study highlights potentially fruitful areas for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.

Motor vehicle occupant injury and related hospital expenditures in children aged 3 years to 8 years covered versus uncovered by booster seat legislation.

BACKGROUND: Although most states have infant restraint laws, booster seat legislation for older children has not been implemented universally despite evidence of effectiveness. We examined injury and expenditures for motor vehicle traffic (MV) occupant injury among 3 year to 8 year olds covered versus uncovered by booster seat legislation. METHODS: Age, state of residence/hospitalization, and month of injury were used to examine injury, deaths, and expenditures due to MV occupant injury in children covered versus uncovered by booster seat legislation. Data sources included Kids Inpatient Database 2003 and Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Statistical analyses used chi, Fisher's exact, and analysis of variance. Odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Children covered by booster seat legislation were less likely to be hospitalized for MV occupant injury than uncovered children (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.69-0.88). MV occupant injury constituted a smaller proportion of total injury expenditures in children covered (4.9%) versus uncovered (6.9%) by booster seat legislation. Covered children residing in areas with zip code incomes above the median had 26% lower MV occupant/total injury (p = 0.001) compared with 13% lower MV occupant/total injury for those below the median income (p = 0.0712). The proportion of injury dollars spent for MV occupant injury was higher in self-pay children for covered (7.8%) and uncovered (8.9%) children. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that booster seat laws are associated with a lower proportion of injury expenditures for MV occupant injuries in booster seat-aged children. Observed income disparities raise questions regarding whether access to booster seats, quality of affordable seats, and proper use and/or enforcement strategies impede legislative effectiveness.

Race and ethnic differences in a multicenter study of home safety with vouchers redeemable for free safety devices.

BACKGROUND: Most injuries to infants occur at home and are known to have a modifiable component. Additional information on safety behaviors, practices, and device ownership could inform prevention programs aimed at reducing injury-related race and ethnic disparities. METHODS: This study is a secondary data analysis of race and ethnic differences in home safety using data collected by the Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and New York sites of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. Study participants were English- and Spanish-speaking parents/guardians of infants aged 4 months to 6 months. All participants received a voucher redeemable for free safety devices and educational materials. RESULTS: Five hundred forty-two study participants were 37.8% black, 41.7% Hispanic, 10.5% white, and 10.0% other race. Whites more frequently owned/had safety devices including cabinet latches (chi2 =28.9, p < 0.0001), drawer latches (chi2 =21.4, p < 0.0001), bath thermometers (chi2 =22.5, p < 0.0001), electric outlet covers (chi2 =15.9, p = 0.0004), and poison control number (chi 2=93.8, p < 0.0001). Practice of unsafe behaviors, such as stomach sleep position, was higher in blacks (29.3%) than whites (15.8%) or Hispanics (17.7%) (chi2 =11.8, p < 0.0083). Overall, 62.1% redeemed vouchers, but this varied significantly by ethnicity: blacks (42.2%), non-Hispanic whites (64.6%), and Hispanics (76.3%) (chi2 = 48.5, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with whites, both blacks and Hispanics were less likely to own a variety of safety devices at baseline, but Hispanics were more likely than blacks to redeem vouchers. This one shot voucher program was effective at increasing device ownership, but was not sufficient alone to achieve population saturation of safety devices.

Motor vehicle injury, mortality, and hospital charges by strength of graduated driver licensing laws in 36 States.

BACKGROUND: To assess the relation between strength of graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws and motor vehicle (MV) injury burden, this study examined injury mortality, hospitalizations and related charges for 15 year to 17 year olds in 36 states by strength of GDL legislation. METHODS: Data sources include the CDC's Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) and the 2003 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Kids' Inpatient database (KID). Hospital admissions for injuries in 15 year to 17 year olds (n = 49,520) are unweighted. Injury severity was assessed using ICDMAP-90 and International Classification of Injury Severity Scores. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rating system was used to categorize legislative strength: good, fair, marginal/poor, and none. Logistic regression was used to assess independent predictors of MV injury. RESULTS: MV injury accounted for 14.6% of all-cause injury-related hospital admissions with 47.7% classified as drivers. Total MV occupant mortality was 14.6% lower after enactment of GDL with greater improvement observed in the good law category (26.0%). In multivariate models for hospitalized injury, all GDL law categories were protective for MV driver injury in 16 year olds. Compared with whites, black and Hispanic teens were more frequently injured as passengers than drivers. The contribution of MV occupant to all-cause injury-related hospital charges was 16.0% lower in good versus no-GDL categories and 39.5% lower for MV drivers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the presence of any GDL legislation is associated with a lower burden of MV-related injury and expenditures with the largest differences observed for 16-year-old drivers.

National injury-related hospitalizations in children: public versus private expenditures across preventable injury mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Examination of expenditures in areas where more universal application of effective injury prevention approaches is indicated could identify specific mechanisms and age groups where effective intervention may impact public injury-related expenditures. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project 2003 (KID-HCUP) contains acute care hospitalization data for U.S. children and adolescents residing in 36 states. The study population includes 240,248 unweighted (397,943 weighted) injury-related hospital discharges for ages 0 to 19 years. Injury severity was assessed using ICDMAP-90 and International Classification of Injury Severity Scores (ICISS). SUDAAN was employed to adjust variances for stratified sampling. Expenditures were weighted to represent the U.S. population. RESULTS: Injury-related hospitalizations (mean $28,137 +/- 64,420, median $10,808) were more costly than non-injury discharges, accounting for approximately 10% of all persons hospitalized (unweighted), but more than one-fifth of expenditures. Public sources were the primary payor for 37.7% of injured persons. Incidence and cost per case variations across specific injury mechanisms heavily influenced total mechanism specific expenditures. Motor vehicle crashes were the largest expenditures for private and public payors with two thirds of expenditures in teenagers - more than 40% for drivers. Medicaid covered 45.6% ($192 million) of burn expenditures and 59.2% in 0-4 year olds. Expenditures per case (mean +/- SD, median) were: firearm ($36,196 +/- 58,052, $19,020), motor vehicle driver ($33,731 +/- 50,583, $18,431), pedestrian ($31,414 +/- 57,103, $16,552); burns ($29,242 +/- 64,271, $10,739); falls ($13,069 +/- 20,225, $8,610); and poisoning ($8,290 +/- $15,462, $5,208). CONCLUSIONS: More universal application of proven injury prevention has the potential to decrease both the public and private health expenditure burden among several modifiable injury mechanisms.

Twenty-year trends in fatal injuries to very young children: the persistence of racial disparities.

OBJECTIVE: Mortality trends across modifiable injury mechanisms may reflect how well effective injury prevention efforts are penetrating high-risk populations. This study examined all-cause, unintentional, and intentional injury-related mortality in children who were aged 0 to 4 years for evidence of and to quantify racial disparities by injury mechanism. METHODS: Injury analyses used national vital statistics data from January 1, 1981, to December 31, 2003, that were available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rate calculations and chi2 test for trends (Mantel extension) used data that were collapsed into 3-year intervals to produce cell sizes with stable estimates. Percentage change for mortality rate ratios used the earliest (1981-1983) and the latest (2001-2003) study period for black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander children, with white children as the comparison group. RESULTS: All-cause injury rates declined during the study period, but current mortality ratios for all-cause injury remained higher in black and American Indian/Alaskan Native children and lower in Asian/Pacific Islander children compared with white children. Trend analyses within racial groups demonstrate significant improvements in all groups for unintentional but not intentional injury. Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native children had higher injury risk as a result of residential fire, suffocation, poisoning, falls, motor vehicle traffic, and firearms. Disparities narrowed for residential fire, pedestrian, and poisoning and widened for motor vehicle occupant, unspecified motor vehicle, and suffocation for black and American Indian/Alaskan Native children. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify injury areas in which disparities narrowed, improvement occurred with maintenance or widening of disparities, and little or no progress was evident. This study further suggests specific mechanisms whereby new strategies and approaches to address areas that are recalcitrant to improvement in absolute rates and/or narrowing of disparities are needed and where increased dissemination of proven efficacious injury prevention efforts to high-risk populations are indicated.

Improving access to comprehensive injury risk assessment and risk factor reduction in older adult populations.

Preventing injuries in older populations (aged 50-86 years) is more complex than in younger populations because of frailty, comorbidities, polypharmacy, and physical and cognitive functional limitations. To improve accessibility and delivery of comprehensive, focused injury prevention, we developed a model incorporating applicable features of our national children's program with additional elements to address challenges of older populations. The older adult injury prevention model addresses gaps in prevention by improving access to risk factor screening, safety devices, education, counseling, medical care, and referrals.

A national program for injury prevention in children and adolescents: the injury free coalition for kids.

Injury is the leading cause of death and a major source of preventable disability in children. Mechanisms of injury are rooted in a complex web of social, economic, environmental, criminal, and behavioral factors that necessitate a multifaceted, systematic injury prevention approach. This article describes the injury burden and the way physicians, community coalitions, and a private foundation teamed to impact the problem first in an urban minority community and then through a national program. Through our injury prevention work in a resource-limited neighborhood, a national model evolved that provides a systematic framework through which education and other interventions are implemented. Interventions are aimed at changing the community and home environments physically (safe play areas and elimination of community and home hazards) and socially (education and supervised extracurricular activities with mentors). This program, based on physician-community partnerships and private foundation financial support, expanded to 40 sites in 37 cities, representing all 10 US trauma regions. Each site is a local adaptation of the Injury Free Coalition model also referred to as the ABC's of injury prevention: A, "analyze injury data through local injury surveillance"; B, "build a local coalition"; C, "communicate the problem and raise awareness that injuries are a preventable public health problem"; D, "develop interventions and injury prevention activities to create safer environments and activities for children"; and E, "evaluate the interventions with ongoing surveillance." It is feasible to develop a comprehensive injury prevention program of national scope using a voluntary coalition of trauma centers, private foundation financial and technical support, and a local injury prevention model with a well-established record of reducing and sustaining lower injury rates for inner-city children and adolescents.

Preventing injury and injury-related disability in children and adolescents.

Injury is the leading cause of death and a prevalent source of disability and excess health expenditures in children and adolescents. There are predictable patterns to injury that provide clues to prevention. Epidemiologically-based theoretical frameworks are available to guide development of injury prevention strategies, to add structure to our observations, and focus to our prevention activities. While all-cause injury mortality rates have decreased in children and adolescents over the last 20 years, large ethnic disparities persist, indicating the need for intensified efforts in high-risk communities. Strong leadership from pediatric surgeons and pediatricians operating hospital-based community injury prevention programs has produced successful reductions in child and adolescent injury rates in resource-limited and minority neighborhoods. Among the program features considered essential are: (1) an ongoing injury surveillance system; (2) well-focused, multifaceted prevention activities, including both passive and active prevention approaches; (3) education; (4) enlistment of other health professionals, local government officials, community leaders, and the public; and (5) evaluation and refinement of prevention activities.

Community childhood injury surveillance: an emergency department-based model.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of an emergency department (ED)-based injury surveillance model to determine the incidence and mechanisms of nonfatal injuries among children living in Cabrini Green, a poor urban community. METHODS: Using ED records and census data, population-based injury rates were determined for a retrospective cohort of children, 0 to 14 years old, (N = 3908) with nonfatal injuries resulting in ED treatment between January 1994 and December 1998. RESULTS: There were 1950 nonfatal injuries during the 5-year study period (annual injury incidence of 998/10,000). Age-specific rates (per 10,000 per year) were 899 among 0- to 4-year olds, 616 among 5- to 9-year olds, and 435 among 10- to 14-year olds. Sixty-three percent were male. The most common injury mechanisms were falls (339/10,000 per year), being struck by/against an object (201/10,000 per year), and being cut/pierced by an object (87/10,000 per year). Falls from a building window (2/10,000 per year) were infrequent. The incidence of housefire-related burns was 1.5/10,000 per year. Intentional injuries included alleged child abuse, 43/10,000 per year, and assaults, 30/10,000 per year. The assault rate among 10- to 14-year-old males was 100/10,000 per year. One hundred thirty-four children were admitted to the hospital (average annual rate of 69/10,000). The most frequent admission diagnoses were falls (22/10,000) among 0- to 9-year olds and assaults (13/10,000) among 10- to 14-year olds. CONCLUSION: An ED-based injury surveillance system can provide an efficient and useful way to determine injury incidence in a defined urban community. The data suggest that rates of violence-related injuries were high, while rates of window falls and housefires were low. These data have allowed targeted injury prevention efforts in Cabrini Green, and future surveillance will allow the evaluation of injury prevention activities.

Impact of a cancer screening program on breast cancer stage at diagnosis in a medically underserved urban community.

BACKGROUND: Our previous report showed that the disparity in breast carcinoma survival between black and white women because of advanced stage of disease at presentation in poor black women is related to their low socioeconomic status and lack of health insurance. This observation led to establishment of a community-oriented free cancer screening service. STUDY DESIGN: To evaluate the impact of screening on breast cancer stage at diagnosis, analysis of data from the Harlem Hospital Tumor Registry between 1995 and 2000 was performed and compared with our 1964-1986 report. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of cancers (324 of 1,405) diagnosed between 1995 and 2000 were breast carcinoma. Data confirm that lack of insurance remains a major problem among poor black women. We observed a marked fall, from 49% in our earlier report to 21% in this study, in late-stage (III and IV) disease at presentation. This fall is associated with significant (p < 0.001) improvement in early detection of breast cancer, with 41% of cancers in stages 0 and I in this data compared with 6% in the previous study. Of note, 53% of women with breast carcinoma had breast-conserving surgery and 45% had modified radical mastectomy in this study; 71% had radical or modified radical mastectomy in the earlier report. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the importance of a free cancer screening program in the improvement of early-stage breast cancer detection, treatment, and survival in a poor urban community.