Injury prevention behaviors: A report card for the nation, 1995.
BACKGROUND
This study estimated the 1995 state-level prevalence of occupant restraint use for children and adults, child bicycle helmet use, not drinking and driving, and installation and regular checking of smoke detectors.


METHODS
Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were weighted to reflect the age, sex, and racial distribution of each state. State prevalence estimates were ranked by quartile.


RESULTS
Prevalence estimates for five of the six behaviors varied widely across states. Use of safety belts among adults ranged from 41.5 to 87.3% (median 66.7%); use of child occupant restraints, 62.3 to 95.7% (80.8%); not drinking and driving within the past 30 days, 94.7- 99.4% (97.8%); smoke detector installation, 78.9 to 98.7% (94.1%); monthly checking of smoke detectors, 31.3- 51.2% (40.4%); and child use of bicycle helmets, 9. 3 to 62.8% (23.1%). Certain states had consistently poor quartile rankings. States with behavior-relevant laws appeared to have the highest level of associated safety practices for impaired driving, adult occupant restraint use, and bicycle helmet use.


CONCLUSIONS
Injury risk taking behaviors appear to cluster. States with consistently poor quartile rankings should consider more concerted injury prevention efforts. Health care providers can play an important role in increasing the prevalence of injury prevention behaviors by providing age-appropriate counseling to their patients.
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Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*