Employment Opportunity: Assistant Health Educator

The Community Health Education Section of the SFDPH is seeking 1 full-time position in class 2819 Assistant Health Educator for CHIPPS Coordinator for Senior Injury Prevention. Final Filing Date is 1/27/2007

Click here for Job Announcement.

TV Depiction of Seatbelt and Helmet Use Does Not Correlate With Actual Use

A study done by the journal Injury Prevention, finds that the frequency of the use of safety belts and helmets shown in television programs do not match the actual use by Americans. An estimated 80% of Americans wear seatbelts, 60% wear motorcycle helmets, and 40% wear bicycle helmets, while television programs only depict their characters wearing seatbelts 62% of the time, wearing motorcycle helmets 47% of the time, and wearing bicycle helmets 9% of the time. The average American watches 4 hours of television a day. It is a fact that TV does influence viewers and can ultimately encourage the continuation of these dangerous behaviors. This is especially important in younger viewers who might be influenced by the lack of bicycle helmet use in television programs.

Surprisingly, commercials over represent the use of safety belts, motorcycle helmets, and bike helmets with 86%, 100%, and 84% respectively.

To read an article published by Forbes Magazine on the study, click here.

Quick Tips for Navigating the CIPN blog

In light of the recent questions concerning the navigation of the CIPN blog, I have decided to post a few tips. Hope this makes using the CIPN blog easier!

1) To comment on a post, simply click on the link at the bottom of the post that says # comments. Type in your comment and click publish post. Remember, you must be a member in order to post comments.

2) if you click on a link to a specific post on the right hand side, it will direct you to a page that has the post and any comments made to the post. To return to the most recent blog entry, simply click the California Injury Prevention Network Discussions link which is situated directly above the post.

3) If you are looking in the archives, you can return to the most recent blog entry by clicking on the current posts link, situated under all the archived months.

New Listserv-Social Determinants of Health

The Social Determinants of Health Listserv, set up by York University, is intended as an international forum for those concerned with the latest developments in theory, research, and practice regarding the social determinants of health. The purpose of the list-serve conference is to: a) provide the latest information on scholarship on social determinants of health; b) explore the implications of these conditions for the health of citizens; and c) provide support for those attempting to strengthen these social determinants of health in their local jurisdictions. Therefore we are interested in current issues related to early childhood and care, housing, food insecurity, etc. in addition to their effects upon health.

To subscribe: Send an e-mail to listserv@yorku.ca with the following information in the message section: subscribe SDOH your first name your last name

MMWR: Pedal-Cycle Injuries Among Children Aged <6 Years-Wisconisn, 2002-2004

The CDC has released a MMWR on Pedal-Cycle Injuries Among Children under the age of 6. The report looked at Emergency Department visits and found that during 2002-2004, a reported 2,046 visits were associated with a pedal-cycle injury of a child aged <6 years. This comes out to an annual incidence rate of 16.7 per 100,000-population aged <6 years. Head and neck injuries were the predominant category of injury in young cyclists. The profile of the Emergency visits listed 69.9% boys, 30.4% girls, with injuries occurring more frequently during April to September. The youngest patient was aged 11 months, and the number of visits increased with age.

The report urges proper use of helmets and safe bicycle techniques. Also, children aged <1 year should not be transported on a pedal cycle because they lack the necessary head strength to support a helmet. This report suggests that perhaps with effective injury prevention strategies for young children, it might provide the foundation needed for safe cycling behaviors, thereby reducing future pedal-cycle injuries.

To read the full report, click here.

Road Rage: Off the Road and Onto the Web

Angry with the driver that cut you off this morning? Wish you could vent? Now you can.

In today's San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Taylor reports on the growing popularity of a website that posts encounters people have with bad drivers on the road. Included in the posts is information about the type of vehicle, the license plate, time, date, and type of offense. People have been posting about anything from women driving while applying makeup to drivers attempting dangerous lane changes. Other drivers can comment on the offense and the website, which began in May, now has over 43,000 registered users who contribute their stories from all 50 states.

You can read the article here.

What do YOU, as a health professional in injury prevention, think of these type of websites? Do you think that this will have the potential to help reduce traffic incidences or is it just for entertainment? Let us know what you think!

2007 Statistical Abstract

The Census Bureau has released the 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Here you can find statistical information on anything from how many hours an average adult spends watching television to what is the fastest growing job market. As far as injury prevention is concerned, the Statistical Abstract also includes motor vehicle accidents and deaths, traffic fatalities based on blood alcohol level, workers killed or disabled on the job, healthcare resources, and injuries due to consumer products used at home. This is an excellent resource to find statistics on specific types of injuries or if you are interested, the overall state and profile of our nation. The data is extracted from several sources including the federal agencies, private organizations, and the Census Bureau itself.

To access more information about the 2007 Statistical Abstract and find out specific statistics of interest, click here.

Save the Date: CIPN Sponsored Interactive On-line Teleconference

CIPN will sponsor its very first teleconference training on injury prevention policy on Feburary 15, 2007- From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The training includes how to use local strengths to forge statewide alliances and how to deal with strategic questions of what level to work on to achieve your goals.

The tele-conference is open to all CIPN members and interested parties. Participation is free but you must register. More details and registration information to come in January. Save the date now and start thinking of questions you'd like to ask our experts. Keep checking the CIPN website for updates!

Medscape

The APHA's 134th Annual Meeting News Coverage and Free Continuing Education Credits are now available through Medscape. As in previous years, APHA's collaboration with Medscape from WebMD is helping disseminate Annual Meeting news and educational content to a broad audience of health professionals.

News from a number of Annual Meeting presentations is now available online, including an article on intimate partner violence. In January, six articles will also be posted that summarize key findings on a variety of public health topics, including HIV testing, unintentional injuries in children and models for public health educational institutions in developing countries. These topical overviews will be available for continuing education credit at no cost. For more information, visit the website.

Registration to Medscape is FREE! Click here to register.

America’s Health Rankings Report Released

The United Health Foundation, in partnership with APHA and Partnership for Prevention, has just released the 17th annual America's Health Rankings: A Call for Action for People & Their Communities report.

The report finds that Minnesota is the healthiest state in the nation for the fourth year in a row, while Louisiana was ranked as the least-healthy state. California was ranked as #23, down one from last year. The report also found that Americans as a whole are only 0.3 percent healthier than they were at this time last year. The report is a yearly assessment of the relative healthiness of the nation and is based upon analysis of various determining factors such as personal behaviors, the environment in which people live and work, the decisions made by public and elected officials, and the quality of medical care delivered by health professionals. For more information on the report, please visit
www.apha.org/news/press/2006/unidtedHealthRankings.htm.

To see the actual report, click here.

Looking Ahead for 2007

Mark Your Calendars for National Public Health Week 2007 (NPHW) happening on April 2-8, 2007. Join APHA in connecting vulnerable and special needs populations with the resources they need to prepare for public health emergencies. The theme for 2007 is “Take the First Step! Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable Populations.”

Each day, APHA will focus on the unique needs of the following populations:

Monday: Mothers with Children in the Household
Tuesday: Local Food Banks
Wednesday: Hourly Wage Workers
Thursday: Schools K-12
Friday: Individuals with Chronic Health Care Needs

For more information, please visit the 2007 NPHW Web site or contact Kaitlin Sheedy at kaitlin.sheedy@apha.org.

Changes to CIPN website

In light of the recent survey we administered to CIPN members and the results received, we are looking to add more resources and information to the website. We hope to include topic specific links and information in order to make your experience using the CIPN website more relevant and easy to use. We need your feedback and suggestions for links that you commonly use when you are in search for information specific to your area of interest. Please leave comments on the blog or e-mail us at injprevnetwork.dph@sfdph.org Thanks!

New MMWR Report: Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Victims of Motor-Vehicle Crashes

The current issue of MMWR reports on Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Victims of Motor-Vehicle Crashes --- West Virginia, 2004--2005 and finds that the percentage of drug-positive drivers typically is lower than the percentage of alcohol-positive drivers in U.S. studies of motor-vehicle crashes. Recent reviews indicate that 5%--25% of drivers involved in motor-vehicle crashes have positive drug tests. An NHTSA study of U.S. motor-vehicle crashes during 1990--1991 determined that drugs were involved in 17.8% of driver fatalities wih marijuana as the most common drug found in such studies of fatally injured drivers, followed by cocaine, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines.

This report differs from previous reports in terms of the relatively high prevalence of drugs among drivers in West Virginia and the finding that prescription drugs (e.g., opioid analgesics and depressants) were more prevalent than illicit drugs. Although, the findings in West Virginia cannot be extrapolated to the entire United States , these results might reflect recent nationwide growth in the volume of prescriptions for opioid analgesics and other potentially impairing medications and how this growth in these prescriptions are affecting the number of motor-vehicle crashes.

For the full report, please visit the CDC's MMWR site here.

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month --- December 2006

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (3-D month). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , in 2005, a total of 43,443 traffic fatalities occurred, 39% (16,885) of which were alcohol related. Among these alcohol-related fatalities, 86% (14,539) involved at least one driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >0.08 g/dL, a level that is illegal in all states. 3-D month is supported by various organizations committed to preventing car crashes due to driver impairment.

To find out more information including sample public-service announcements, media tool kits, and program guidance for 3-D month, please go to the NHTSA's site or see the current issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

2007 California Working Families Policy Summit

The 2007 California Working Families Policy Summit, hosted by the California Center for Research on Women and Families, is happening on January 18, 2007 at the Sacramento Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m!

The Summit will feature California's leading advocates presenting their legislative agendas for the coming year. Health, nutrition, physical activity, welfare, child care, preschool, afterschool care, child welfare and workplace issues will be included in the day's discussions. There is no charge to attend the workshops but you must register.

Registration materials are now avaliable. For more information, please click here.

New Resource Alert: Improving Health & Reducing Disparities Through Prevention

The Prevention Institute has just released a report, Disparity Reducing Advances Project: The Imperative of Reducing Health Disparities Through Prevention: Challenges, Implications, and Opportunities , outlining promising approaches and next steps for reducing health disparities. The presented approach to reducing health disparities focuses on the way that fundamental causes of inequality (e.g., economics and oppression) shape community environments. Community environments in turn shape behaviors such as eating and activity patterns, tobacco and alcohol use, and violence and improving these environments represents a tremendous opportunity for promoting community wellbeing.

You can view the PDF of the report by clicking on the link above. If you are interested in reading more about the Prevention Institute's work in community health and health disparities, please visit the website.

The 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

Mark Your Calendar! The 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference will be held February 8-10, 2007 at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The 2007 program will span three full days and feature cutting-edge smart growth issues, the latest research, implementation tools and strategies, successful case studies, interactive learning experiences, new partners, new projects and new policies. Most importantly, this dynamic event offers you the opportunity to network and coordinate with your peers as well as practitioners from many different disciplines with the same goal – building safe, healthy and livable communities for all.

Visit the conference web site at http://www.NewPartners.org for more details about the event and to register.

Also, if you need help funding the trip to this event, please go to http://www.cippp.org/index.htm and apply for the Professional Development RFA under Kids' Plates.

New Project Assistant

Hi All! I'm Vanessa Jew, the new CIPN project assistant. I'm super excited to be a part of CIPN and I hope to interact with all the great people already a part of the network. I'll be handling most of the new member requests as well as answering any questions regarding the blog or the member roster. Feel free to give me a call at (415) 581-2456 or e-mail me at vanessa.jew@sfdph.org if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I check the other e-mail, injprevnetwork.dph@sfdph.org, as well so keep those e-mails coming!