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 […]
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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 […]
Sibling as Bully
A recently published article in the journal Pediatrics titled, “Association of Sibling Aggression With Child and Adolescent Mental Health” has received a substantial amount of western media attention. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/06/12/peds.2012-3801.full.pdf+html The study found that children and adolescents who experienced sibling aggression in the form of physical assault, property victimization, and/or psychological aggression were more likely to […]
Dumb ways to die
I wanted to take a different approach to my blog today, and thought I would share a light-hearted approach to a really important injury prevention problem – rail safety. I am sure many of you are familiar with the Dumb ways to die campaign launched by Metro Trains in Victoria last November, particularly after it […]
Guidance for bridging the great divide between research and practice: Preventing injuries in sport
Building on from my theme in last week’s blog, I came across this interesting article this morning. Whilst injury prevention in sports is not my domain of research, nor may it be the research domain of many readers of the Injury Prevention blog, the principles and practices contained within can guide researchers trying to bridge […]