Association between the inception of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and changes in pediatric unintentional injury rates.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between the implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and pediatric unintentional injury rates.


METHODS
Shelby County, Tennessee.


METHODS
Retrospective observational analysis.


METHODS
County residents nine years of age or younger presenting to the children's medical center, its emergency department, or its outpatient clinics from 1990-97.


METHODS
Implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition.


METHODS
Rates of unintentional injuries targeted by the SAFE KIDS Coalition that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of motor vehicle occupant injuries that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of non-targeted unintentional injuries, namely injuries secondary to animals and by exposure to toxic plants. Rates of severe injuries (defined as those targeted injuries that required hospitalization or resulted in death), and specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries were compared before and after the inception of the coalition using Poisson regression analysis.


RESULTS
The relative risk of targeted severe injury rates decreased after implementation of the coalition even after controlling for changes in hospital admission rates. Specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injury rates decreased 30% (relative risk 0.70; 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.89) after initiation of the coalition.


CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition was associated with a decrease in severe targeted injuries, most notably, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries. Although causality cannot be determined, these data suggest that the presence of a coalition may be associated with decreased severe unintentional injury rates.
Tamburro
R F
RF
Division of Critical Care Medicine, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. robert.tamburro@stjude.org
Shorr
R I
RI
Bush
A J
AJ
Kritchevsky
S B
SB
Stidham
G L
GL
Helms
S A
SA
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*