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2017 Annual Meeting

September 12–14, 2017

Aurora, Colorado

The links below contained detailed information for the upcoming 2017 Safe States Alliance Annual Meeting, taking place September 12-14, 2017 in Aurora, Colorado.

Please note:

Examining Causes of Non-Fatal Unintentional Falls in Children Ages 0-19

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 4:15 PM–5:30 PM MDT
Aurora Ballroom 1
Learning Objectives
Statement of Purpose

Falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations in children ages 0-19. However, the term “falls” is ambiguous as many activities and consumer products can result in a fall. Notably, the ambiguity makes designing interventions to target the problem of falls difficult. This study combines two data sources to shed further light on the causes of non-fatal unintentional falls among children ages 0-19.

Methods/Approach

Fall-related emergency department visits were analyzed using the 2007-2010 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) augmented with NEISS All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) data. NEISS provides a weighted national probability sample of consumer product-related injury visits to emergency departments in a sample of 100 U.S. hospitals, approximately 400,000 ED injury visits per year. However, NEISS gives an incomplete picture of injuries because it excludes injuries not under Consumer Product Safety Commission’s purview (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, firearm wounds). An expansion system, NEISS-AIP collects data on all injuries (not just product-related) and is based on more than 500,000 ED injury visits per year from 66 of the 100 NEISS hospitals.

Results

Most (96.53%) non-fatal unintentional falls were cases where children were treated and released from emergency departments. A large proportion (20.55%) of non-fatal unintentional falls among children was related to sports and recreational products. In the sport/recreation product group, falls from skateboards, in basketball, and from playground equipment were the three leading causes. Home furnishings/fixtures products accounted for 18.8% of emergency department visits for falls. Among this group, falls down stairs and steps, from beds and bedframes, and on floors or flooring materials were the leading causes.

Conclusions & Significance to the Field

Augmenting 2007-2010 NEISS with NEISS-AIP data provides a comprehensive understanding of factors related to emergency department visits for falls. This study highlights priority areas for prevention and intervention efforts focused on preventing falls in children ages 0-19.

Presenters

Bina Ali, PhD, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Biography

Dr. Bina Ali is an Associate Research Scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Her research focuses on the interplay between various environmental, social, and interpersonal factors, such as mental health and substance use, to study violence and injuries. She is particularly interested in investigating large national datasets to uncover underlying roles of modifiable risk factors and guide intervention efforts. In her previous research, Dr. Ali has extensively studied the role of coping strategies, such as emotional regulation and distress tolerance, in the relationship between mental health and substance use outcomes. Dr. Ali is part of the Child Safety Network Economics and Data Analysis Research Center.

Co-Authors

Rebecca Spicer, PhD MPH, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Bruce Lawrence, PhD, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

Primary Contact

Bina Ali, PhD, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
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