Child abuse, along with many other aspects of violence and crime, is extremely difficult to accurately measure. The number of officially reported child abuse cases is just a portion of the actual number of cases in a community. And unfortunately, a significant predictor of how many official cases of child abuse are reported is the […]
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Upcoming twitter discussion event
I received an email today from Duncan Vernon of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). On the 30th of July at 8.00pm BST (GMT+1), Duncan will be guest hosting a twitter discussion about an “Editor’s choice” article recently published in Injury Prevention. Public health professionals from a variety of backgrounds regularly participate in […]
The effects of plain packaging of cigarettes
Following a 3-month rollout period, since 1 December 2012 all tobacco products manufactured and sold in Australia have had to be in plain brown packaging. Seventy-five percent of the front of the pack requires a graphic health warning, and the brand name is restricted to a set font and size (see http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2011L02644 for the packaging regulations). As noted on the […]
A cell phone app for training road safety skills to Kenyan motorcycle-taxi drivers
Commuters in developing countries often have few choices when it comes to safe travel. The combination of high fuel costs, scarcity of standard vehicles, and inadequate road networks lead to alternative means of transport, which are not necessarily the safest. An example of this is the sprouting of the motorcycle taxis or “Borda-Borda” in Kenyan’s […]
The potential for social marketing in injury prevention
I came across an interesting paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine this week, titled “Social marketing: why injury prevention needs to adopt this behaviour change approach” (read more at http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2012/05/02/bjsports-2011-090567.extract). The Authors recognise the prominent push for individuals of all ages, sizes, and experience to increasingly participate in sporting activities. Whilst the general […]
Process evaluation of interventions: Overlooked?
A recent publication in Health Education Research raises an important and often-overlooked element of intervention development and application: process evaluation. Whilst the need to incorporate the impact (or outcome) element of evaluation is a well-recognised component of intervention, what is less well-recognised is the need to incorporate the element of process evaluation. As noted by […]
Dangerous design flaws long noted in rail car involved in the deadly Quebec fire.
As a Quebecer I am horrified by the runaway rail car crash in Megantic, Quebec. As reported in FairWarning this appears to be yet another example of poorly enforced regulations coupled with lax enforcement. As FairPlay notes, “The DOT-111 tank car is widely used to carry hazardous waste, oil and ethanol. But federal regulators have […]
Sue the cyclist heads for helmet showdown
Australian media have highlighted the plight of Sue Abbott, a cyclist who refuses to wear a helmet and who has been fined for not doing so. The fine is $67 which goes into a special fund to support victims of crime. Consequently, her drivers license has been cancelled and she is now threatened with having […]
Opioid Pain Reliever Overdoses Among U.S. Women
A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the worsening epidemic of deaths due to overdoses of prescription pain relievers among U.S. women. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6226a3.htm?s_cid=mm6226a3_w The report, which examined data from the National Vital Statistics System and the Drug Abuse Warning Network found that the number […]
International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury (IRCOBI) Conference
Of potential interest to our readers: The IRCOBI conference has been taking place annually since 1973, and is a forum for researchers in the field of injury bio-mechanics. This year, the conference is scheduled to take place at Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg, Sweden 11-13 September 2013. Researchers in the fields of biomechanics, crash mechanics, accident […]