Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention
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Multicenter Study
Factors associated with bicycle helmet use among young adolescents in a multinational sample.
To determine factors associated with variation in bicycle helmet use by youth of different industrialized countries. ⋯ Bicycle helmet use among young adolescents varies greatly between countries; however, helmet use does not reach 50% in any country. Age is the most significant individual factor associated with helmet for helmet using countries. The observation that some helmet promotion programmes are reported for countries with relatively higher student helmet use and no programmes reported for the lowest helmet use countries, suggests the possibility of a relation and the need for objective evaluation of programme effectiveness.
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To examine incidence, demographic risk factors, and patterns of injury resulting from falls from buildings and structures in areas with and without a legislation based prevention programme. ⋯ Window guards are associated with reduced injury resulting from falls from buildings and should be mandated in multi-family dwellings where small children reside. Prevention programmes for young children should be initiated in early spring and continued through fall.
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Window falls are a frequent cause of injury (15/100,000) among Chicago preschool children. In Boston and New York, public health efforts have successfully decreased window fall injuries. Local data are needed to develop appropriate interventions for Chicago. ⋯ Some window falls result in serious injury. In Chicago, most falls were from modest heights (2nd/3rd floor windows) in buildings of four or fewer storeys, rather than from "high rises". Strategies to prevent window falls should be directed to the owners and occupants of this type of housing.
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To determine the number of fatalities related to roller coasters and examine factors common to multiple incidents. ⋯ Approximately four deaths annually in the United States are associated with roller coasters. Prevention of roller coaster fatalities is dependent on establishing an effective surveillance system for amusement ride injuries, engineering rides to better protect both patrons and employees, improving training and supervision of employees regarding safety precautions, and posting cautionary notices near roller coasters for people with specified medical conditions. Further research is needed on roller coaster related deaths resulting from intracranial hemorrhages and cardiac problems.