This article is based on a random digit dialed telephone survey in which adults were asked to name effective strategies for preventing deaths due to motor vehicle crashes, falls, drowning, fires/burns, and poisoning. A majority of the 943 respondents could name prevention techniques, although they were least likely to do so for fatal falls. Participants at highest risk for not naming a countermeasure were those with fewer years of education. The strategy cited most often for preventing deaths due to falls, poisoning, and drowning was safety education. These findings suggest that more advantaged members of the public feel they know how to prevent America's leading causes of injury death. They may not fully appreciate, however, the options of creating health-promoting environments and safer products. This work makes it very clear that people with less education also need to be exposed to the breadth of effective injury countermeasures.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
1. Sheehy NP: Accidents and the social environment, in Chapman AJ, Wade FM, Foot HC (eds.): Pedestrian Accidents. New York, John Wiley, 1982.
2.
2. Bonnie RJ, Fulco CE, Liverman CT (eds.): Reducing the Burden of Injury: Advancing Prevention and Treatment. Committee on Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, 1999.
3.
3. Weinstein ND: The precaution adoption process. Health Psychol7:355-386, 1988.
4.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 10 Leading Causes of Death, United States: 2000, All Races, Both Sexes. Produced by the Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Retrieved March 2003 from http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html
5.
5. NCHS Vital Statistics System: Statistics compiled by the Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 2003 from http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10.html
6.
6. Tolsma DD: Health promotion approaches to occupant protection: An epidemiologic framework. Health Educ Q11:133-140, 1984.
7.
7. Girasek DC: Public beliefs about the preventability of unintentional injury deaths. Accid Anal Prev33:27-37, 2001.
8.
8. Schenck AP: Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina School of Public Health. Unpublished data. Personal Communication, February 23, 1996.
9.
As cited in GJS Wilde, MJ Ackersviller: Accident Journalism and Traffic Safety Education: A Three-Phase Investigation of Accident Reporting in the Canadian Daily Press. Prepared for Traffic Safety, Transport Canada (Ottawa), 1981.
10.
10. Butchart A, Kruger J, Lekoba R: Perceptions of injury causes and solutions in a Johannesburg township: Implications for prevention. Soc Sci Med50:331-344, 2000.
11.
11. Goldstein RB, Buka SL: Perceived effectiveness of community-based measures against alcohol misuse among “problem” and “non problem” drinkers. Subst Use Misuse32:507-554, 1997.
12.
12. Craven R, Bruno P: Teaching to elderly to prevent falls. J Gerontol Nurs12:27-33, 1986.
13.
13. Liller KD, Kent EB, Arcari C, McDermott RJ: Risk factors for drowning and near-drowning among children in Hillsborough County, Florida. Pub Health Rep108:346-353, 1993.
14.
14. Wintemute GJ, Wright MA: Swimming pool owners' opinions of strategies for prevention of drowning. Pediatrics85:63-69, 1990.
15.
15. Gielen AC, Girasek DC: Integrating perspectives on the prevention of unintentional injuries, in Schneiderman N, Speers MA, Silva JM, Tomes H, Gentry JH (eds.): Integrating Behavioral and Social Sciences With Public Health. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association, 2001.
16.
16. Applegate BK, Cullen FT, Barton SM, Richards PJ, Lanza-Kaduce L, Link BG: Public support for drunk-driving countermeasures: Social policy for saving lives. Crime Delinquency41:171-190, 1995.
17.
17. Boyle JM: National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior: 1993. Washington, DC, National Highway Safety Administration, January 10, 1995.
18.
18. Howland J, Mangione T, Hingson R: National Survey of Drinking in Aquatic Settings. Personal communication with Dr. Howland, July 20, 1995.
19.
19. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Michigan adopts three-step licensing, including a curfew, in latest system to “graduate” teenage drivers. Status Rep31:6-7, 1996.
20.
20. Hingson R, Levenson SM, Heeren t, Mangione T, Rodgers C, Schiavone T, Hertz RP: Repeal of the Massachusetts seat belt law. Am J Public Health78:548-552, 1988.
21.
21. Hu X, Wesson DE, Parkin PG, Chipman ML, Spence LJ: Parental attitudes towards legislation for helmet use by child cyclists. Can J Pub Health84:163-165, 1993.
22.
22. Schenck AP, Runyan CW, Earp JAL: Seat belt laws: The influence of data on public opinion. Health Educ Q12:365-377, 1985.
23.
23. Lauritzen JB: Hip fractures: Incidence, risk factors, energy absorption, and prevention. Bone18:655-755, 1996.
24.
24. Campbell AJ, Borrie MJ, Spears GF, Jackson SL, Brown JS, Fitzgerald JL: Circumstances and consequences of falls experienced by a community population 70 years and over during a prospective study. Age Ageing19:136-141, 1990.
25.
25. Baker SP, O'Neill B, Ginsburg MJ, Li G: The Injury Fact Book. 2nd ed. New York, Oxford University Press, 1992.
26.
26. Myers AH, Young Y, Langlois JA: Prevention of falls in the elderly. Bone18:87S-101S, 1996.
27.
27. Zylke JW. Research focuses not only on where, why, how of falls, but also on preventing them. JAMA263:2022-2023, 1990.
28.
28. Gielen AC, Wilson MEH, McDonald EM, Serwint JR, Andrews JS, Hwang WT, Wang MC: Randomized trial of enhanced anticipatory guidance for injury prevention. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med155:42-49, 2001.
29.
29. Liller KD, Craig J, Crane N, McDermott RJ: Evaluation of a poison prevention lesson for kindergarten and third grade students. Inj Prev4:218-221, 1998.
30.
30. Eichelberger MR, Gotschall CS, Feely HB, Harstad P, Bowman LM: Parental attitudes and knowledge of child safety. AJDC144:714-720, 1990.
31.
31. Scholer SJ, Hickson GB, Mitchel EF, Ray WA: Predictors of mortality from fires in young children. Pediatrics101:E12, 1998.
32.
32. Council for Marketing and Public Opinion Research: Refusal Rates and Industry Image Survey. Port Jefferson, NY, Council for Marketing and Public Opinion Research, 1995.
33.
33. Keeter S, Miller C, Kohut A, Groves RM, Presser S: Consequences of reducing nonresponse in a national telephone survey. Public Opin Q64:125-148, 2000.
34.
34. Curtin R, Presser R, Singer E: The effects of response rate changes on the index of consumer sentiment. Public Opin Q64:413-428, 2000.
35.
35. Jason LA, Rose T: Influencing the passage of child passenger restraint legislation. Am J Community Psychol12:485-495, 1984.
36.
36. Lowenstein SR, Koziol-McLain J, Satterfield G, et al: Facts versus values: Why legislators vote against injury control laws. J Trauma35:786-792, 1992.
37.
37. O'Connor RE, Bord RJ, Fisher A: Rating threat mitigators: Faith in experts, governments, and officials themselves to create a safer world. Risk Anal18:547-556, 1998.
38.
38. Wallack L, DeJong W: Mass media and public health: Moving the focus from the individual to the environment, in Martin S (ed.): The Effects of the Mass Media on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol. Bethesda, MD, National Institutes of Health, 1995. (NIH Pub. No. 95-3743.)
