The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48546

Shannon D. Morris¹, Rebecca A. Cornejo, MHS², Dennis R. Durbin, MD, MSCE², and Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD³. (1) Partners for Child Passenger Safety, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th & Civic Center Blvd, 3535 TraumaLink-10th FL, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (2) Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatisitcs, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, 7th Floor Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-573-3693, morriss@email.chop.edu, (3) TraumaLink, 34th & Civic Center Blvd, 3535 Traumalink- 10th Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Background: Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) is an on-going, large scale, child-specific crash surveillance system created by linking electronic insurance claims data to telephone survey and crash investigation data. Data from PCPS has described the risk of injury to children involved in motor vehicle crashes. Among the issues highlighted by the project is the high rate of inappropriate restraint (83%) in children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old and their increased risk for serious injury, especially head injury. This session will describe ways in which real-world data are put into action by informing legislation, education, and state/federal regulation. This session will arm participants with resource tools, backed by scientific data, for use in educational initiatives and legislative advocacy.

Development/Implementation: Using data from PCPS, resource and educational tools were developed. The tools include fact sheets with state specific data, anatomical diagrams, crash simulation visuals and assorted images. These tools are disseminated using a variety of mechanisms including the web, CD-Rom and print media. Over 20 legislative offices have cited results from these tools and in a preliminary assessment, images have been downloaded over 250 times in a one-month period.

Conclusions: PCPS turns research into action by generating crash-based pediatric occupant injury data and providing it to a variety of disciplines. In particular, data regarding the inappropriate restraint and injury of 3-8 year old children have proven valuable to safety advocates and state/federal legislators initiating the amendment of statewide child restraint and seat belt laws.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how scientific principles (epidemiological, medical, and biomechanical) can be translated into educational tools.
• Develop a familiarity with successful legislative and educational advocacy initiatives conducted by PCPS and how the materials were utilized in these initiatives.
• Be able to apply the theory behind the development of the PCPS promotional initiatives so that effective materials can be developed and utilized in their respective discipline.

Keywords: Injury Prevention, Advocacy

Related Web page: www.traumalink.chop.edu/restraint/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.