Journal of injury & violence research最新文献

Background: Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are important compounds as the most probable common cause of acute poisonings in developing countries. OP intoxication often presents as medical emergencies, and its related morbidity and mortality have not decreased despite major advances in critical care. This study aims to determine the impact of serum amylase level for estimation of prognosis in patients with acute OP poisoning.

Methods: This observational case-control study was done during two years on 332 consecutive patients with acute OP poisoning. Clinical and demographic data, serum amylase level on early admission time, morbidity, and outcome were determined. Data were analyzed in the form of a frequency distribution table by using SPSS 11.0 version software.

Results: The mean age of patients with acute OP poisoning was 28.9 ± 23.95 with slightly female dominance. All patients were intoxicated via the gastrointestinal route. The mean amylase level of patients with deterioration of mental status, tachycardia, ICU admission, and death was significantly higher.

Conclusions: Among patients with OP poisoning, higher serum amylase than normal was associated with severe clinical course and increased risk for mortality. Determination of serum amylase can be effective in the quick prediction of the outcome.

Background: Sufficient data should be gathered and analyzed to increase awareness and attention of the community and policymakers in the field of road traffic injury (RTI) prevention. While various organizations and stakeholders are involved in road traffic crashes, there is no clear lead agency for data collection system in RTIs. Exploring stakeholders' perspective is one of the key sources for understanding this system. The purpose of this study is to identify the process of RTI data collection system based on stakeholders' experience.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted employing grounded theory approach since September 2017 to December 2018 in Iran. Participants in this study were the authorities of the Emergency organizations, police, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, faculty members, as well as executive staff and road users who were involved in collecting and recording data (n=15). Data collection was carried out through face-to-face interviews using purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data analysis was performed based on Strauss and Corbin 2008.

Results: The core category was identified as "separated registration" explaining the process of collecting and recording road traffic injury data. Other variables obtained using the Strauss and Corbin Paradigm model were categorized as context, casual, intervening, strategies, and outcomes factors. The findings were classified into five groups including lack of trust in road safety promotion, process factors, management and organizational factors, failure of quality assurance, and administrative and organizational culture.

Conclusions: The most important theory is "separated registration" and non-systematic registry system of road traffic injury data which is shown in a conceptual model. The findings of this study will help policymakers for better understanding the collecting and recording of RTI information.

Background: This study utilized videos from a child's and an adult's perspective to determine whether perspective influences the number of hazards identified by parents.

Methods: The study measured number of household dangers parents' identified. Parents (n=106) were randomized to view either the child or adult perspective videos. Groups did not differ with respect to median age (p=0.51), education (p=0.55), or number of children living at home (p=0.64).

Results: Median number of hazards identified in the bedroom was 3 for participants watching videos taken at either adult or child perspective (p=0.32). Parents viewing child perspective videos of the kitchen identified significantly more hazards (median=4) than parents viewing adult perspective videos (median=3) (p=0.0001).

Conclusions: Although video height (perspective) did not influence the number of hazards identified in the bedroom, parents who observed the kitchen video taken at a child's height identified more hazards than those viewing a video at adult height.

Background: Firearm-related violence is a significant public health issue in the US. Research has found an increase in guns used in crimes sourced from low gun law states into high gun law states. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of distance from states without universal background checks (UBC), background checks at shows (BCS), or permit to purchase (PTP) laws on firearm homicide rates in states with them.

Methods: States were identified based on their enactment of laws that are designed to prevent the private sale of firearms to criminals. Demographic data for each county were obtained for the years 2014 through 2017. The border distance from a county in a state with the evaluated gun laws to the nearest border state without the gun laws was obtained using Google Maps. Multiple regression analyses were performed to test the relationship between border distance and firearm homicide rates.

Results: The regression model evaluating all formats found the border distance was negatively associated with firearm homicides (p=.009). The parameter estimate indicated as border distance increased, the firearm homicide rate decreased. When counties with UBC or PTP on all guns were evaluated separately from all formats model, the statistical significance was lost (p=.62). In counties where all handgun sales either require a background check or a PTP is required, the distance was also not statistically significant (p=.11).

Conclusions: This study provides evidence that there may be a mitigating effect on the reduction of firearm homicides in states that require background checks or PTP on private sales when there is a state in close proximity that did not have these laws. Limited counties at certain distances may have contributed to the insignificant findings in other models.

Background: Helmet use rates among motorcyclists are low and various factors are involved. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the use of helmet in motorcycle students in Iran (Bandar Abbas city) in 2019.

Methods: The research was qualitative and data were collected through individual interviews and observations and were interpreted by content analysis method. Participants were 15 motorcyclist students studying in public health (6), nursing (4), dentistry (2), medicine (1), health education (1) and biochemistry (1). They were purposefully included in the study and sampling continued until data saturation. The main tool for data collection was deep semi-structured interviews with open answers which lasted for 20 to 60 minutes. Finally, 15 interviews were collected in this study.

Results: The five main categories (economic, family, socio-cultural, individual, and riding rules) were extracted from the data that each had a subclass.

Conclusions: Different factors in micro and macro dimensions play a role in the use of helmets among motorcyclists. Consideration of these factors by the relevant organizations in the field of traffic can increase the use of helmets.

Background: Volunteers' presence, as a critical issue in hospital response to disasters and emergencies, helps to readiness and quick response to the phenomena, preventing deaths caused by such incidences. This study aimed to determine the main factors affecting popular volunteers' presence in hospital response to disasters and emergencies in Iran.

Methods: This qualitative study, conducted on 31 semi-structured interviews during the years 2019 and 2020, concerning emergency specialist working in various health organization nationwide between June 2019 and April 2020. The non-structured and semi-structured interviews were adopted to gather concept code and analyzed using Graneheim recommendation method.

Results: Four main categories, identified as effective factors on volunteers' presence in hospital response to disasters and emergencies, including nine subcategories: (1) organizing and managing volunteers (with two sub-categories: (a) calling and registering volunteers, and (b) identifying volunteers' ability); (2) organizational structure (with two sub-categories: (a) operational planning and (b) coordination and communication); (3) training (with two sub-categories: (a) training in disasters and (b) volunteer training); and (4) volunteer challenges (with three sub-categories: (a) volunteer interaction with organizations, (b) volunteer logistics, and (c) volunteering culture).

Conclusions: Exploring effective factors as regards volunteers' presence in hospital response phase in disasters to adopt a policy based on the experiences of managers and heads of health can help planners to provide effective design and implementation. It can scientifically contribute to disaster risk management and hospital emergency response in Iran.

Background: Trauma is one of the major causes of mortality across the world. Trauma patients have critical status and need timely, adequate, and organized care. The different consequences of trauma care among service centers around the world and even within a country revealed the need for careful evaluation. This study was designed and executed to collect experts' opinions on the evaluation steps, related indicators, and improvement strategies in trauma care.

Methods: This qualitative study was based on a conventional content analysis approach. 2 focus group discussions (FGD) with 6 participants per FGD and 16 face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the required information (from September 2018 to early 2019). Participants were selected through the purposive sampling method. The experts' viewpoints were classified by the main and sub themes.

Results: Four basic themes extracted from the interviews and focus group discussions including, trauma care importance (sub-themes: the involved individuals' being young and productive and the effectiveness of trauma care); trauma care indicators (sub-themes: pre-hospital indicators, in-hospital indicators, and post-hospital indicators); stages of trauma care evaluation (sub-themes: evaluation prerequisites, finalization of indicators before the evaluation, determining evaluation time scope, determining evaluation dimensions, external and internal evaluation and use of evaluation results); trauma care improvement (sub-themes: balancing workload in trauma centers, enhancement of information system, considering extra-organizational dimensions in trauma care and empowerment of trauma care providers).

Conclusions: According to experts' viewpoints, trauma is a very important issue, because it involves young people. They believed that having indicators covering all aspects of care assist health managers and policymakers to understand under-standard performance. These indicators should be used in the form of a specific evaluation program and related to Iran context. Besides, reforming macro policies, planning, development of infrastructures, and education was some recommendations of experts to improve trauma care.

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the earthquake preparedness levels and related factors of the faculty members working at a university located in a province in a first-degree earthquake zone in Turkey.

Methods: The total number of faculty members at the university is 457, including 314 assistant professors, 63 associate professors, and 80 full professors. The study group included 177 (38.7%) of 457 faculty members. The dependent variable of the study is the attitudes of the faculty members towards earthquake preparedness. The independent variables were age, gender, marital status, having children, living with or without children, duration of residency in Karabuk. In addition, these were also included as variables, respectively, type of housing, property ownership, work experience, exposure to natural disasters in the past, and the awareness that Karabuk is a first-degree risk earthquake zone. The data were collected using a descriptive questionnaire and Mulilis-Lippa Earthquake Preparedness Scale. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and binary logistic regression model and SPSS 20.0 software.

Results: There was only one (0.6%) faculty member who stated that he meets all of the preparatory criteria of the Mulilis-Lippa Earthquake Preparedness Scale. The probability of low materials preparedness score increased by 2.31 (95% CI 1.1-4.7) and 4.53 (95% CI 1.4-14.4) when the faculty members were renters and working as faculty members for 15 years and over, respectively. Being a renter also increased the probability of common knowledge and skill score by 1.95 (95% CI 1.0-3.8).

Conclusions: This study showed that earthquake preparedness levels among the faculty members are insufficient and suggests that motivation of the faculty members' motivation to be appropriately prepared for future earthquake case should be increased.

For years there were no organized supporting system helping victims of domestic violence in Iran. 16 years ago Ministry of Interior started a national survey which led to try legislating bills in order to improve preventive and supporting services. This has inspired many health care professionals, including Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Training, to pursue this field for research. Since then, many studies has been done; which were reviewed in this paper. We tried to build a stepping stone for the future researchers and activists, since despite all what has been done, still there is no legislated bill or enough organizations to protect the victims.

Background: There is a vast amount of literature on the effects of driver education. However, the evidence has become somewhat fragmented, making it challenging to understand driver education's effectiveness for improving road safety. The current study aimed to provide the efficacy of pre-LDE and post-LDE interventions aimed at improving the safety of drivers (includes crashes, injuries, or secondary outcomes).

Methods: The following online databases were searched up to the 21st of February 2020: Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane library, and other relevant databases. Systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analyses were selected to investigate the efficacy of driving education in reducing crashes, injuries, or secondary outcomes. Two investigators independently conducted the data extraction and used the assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) tool to conduct a quality assessment of each SR identified.

Results: Out of the 229 potential articles, seven SRs were eligible for the current overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This overview showed that pre-and post-license education by people of all ages led to improvements in secondary outcomes, such as performance, self-perceived driving abilities, behind-the-wheel driving performance, and even a small decrease in traffic offenses. However, education was not effective in reducing crashes or injuries, either at the individual or community level.

Conclusions: There was no evidence that driver education is an effective approach to reducing crashes or injuries. This negative result might be due to ineffective teaching methods. To improve road safety, it appears necessary to change the method or content of driving education since the current approaches to driving education do not reduce traffic crashes or injuries.