2023 was a big travel year for the UI Injury Prevention Research Center. A record of 15 faculty, staff, and students attended the annual conference of the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR) in Denver Colorado in April. We presented research, led pre-conference sessions, networked, and left energized for the hard work ahead to reduce injuries and violence.
Injury and violence prevention (IVP) was elevated throughout the country on November 18, 2023, during the fourth annual National Injury Prevention Day. Advocates organized to “shine a green light” on IVP through outreach activities, social media campaigns, and state/city proclamations (including a proclamation signed by Iowa’s Governor). Many wore green, including students in our injury and violence prevention course!
In November, an article about the impact of CDC-funded Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) from 2012 -2019 was published in the Journal of Safety Research. It highlighted that ICRCs are integral to projecting the health of Americans, with 703 research, 1,432 outreach, and 660 training accomplishments, as well as 342 tools and resources and 3,131 trained students and faculty. We are proud to be making a difference in IVP with our fellow ICRCs!
As a new year begins, we are especially thankful to our dedicated colleagues and partners throughout Iowa and around the world who are making our communities safer and saving lives.
Here, we look back at some of our center’s highlights in 2023.
We co-sponsored the 7th annual Occupational Health and Safety Student Research Conference at the UI College of Public Health, which included a speed networking event with over 30 professionals in the field.
Our literature reviews and gap analysis informed the FY24 Integrated Prevention Research Agenda which defines key research priorities to synchronize the U.S. Department of Defense’s violence prevention initiatives.
We co-sponsored the annual Preventing Childhood Injury Conference in Des Moines, bringing Iowan injury advocates together to learn about hot topics such as safe sleep practices, youth drug overdoses, and safer storage of guns.
We hosted a UI College of Public Health spotlight with Dr. Shabbar Ranapurwala on: Pitfalls and solutions in adjusting for race and ethnicity in epidemiologic studies.
We created a video of landmarks in Iowa that have lit green for National Injury Prevention Day to promote this national day of awareness and action.
We launched a new collaboration with the Injury and Violence Prevention Center at the University of Colorado and the Interpersonal Violence Research Laboratory at the University of Nebraska to explore research opportunities with tribal communities, network on rural injury issues, and mentor students across centers.
We presented our research at national conferences including SAVIR (where two students won awards), Safe States Alliance (where one student one the Rising Star award), and the National Violent Death Reporting System (where two students presented their research on occupational suicides).
Doctoral student Victor Soupene completed a summer internship with the CDC/NCIPC, where he conducted usability tests for two new CDC WISQARS modules: fatal and nonfatal injury infographics and health equity
We launched a website for Dr. Cara Hamann’s Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Safety (TRIPS) Lab which features road safety research and the latest news.
We funded new research through our annual pilot grant program on older adult drivers and pedestrian road crossings.
UI IPRC’s Lisa Roth became the first Safe States Alliance president from an academic institution and CDC Injury Control Research Center.
Our monthly injury blog featured research on topics such as: drug overdoses among youth, safe sleep, disparities in youth suicide, and ATV safety and youth.
UI IPRC in the news (examples):
CDC video: STAND STEADI: Aging and Deprescribing Medications
Op-ed (USA Today): The most deadly traffic policy you’ve never heard of leaves you vulnerable, too
Podcast: Safely Sharing the Road with Farm Vehicles: SaferTrek Project
UI study shows young workers face high levels of workplace violence
Editorial (Star Tribune): In search of a stronger safety culture for kids’ ATV use
UI IPRC publications (examples):
Fracture risk and opioid use in patients aged 17–64 years: An analysis of administrative claims data
Rates and predictors of teen driver crash culpability
Circumstances Contributing to Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Worker Death by Suicide
What’s next in 2024? Some examples:
- Our collaboration with injury and violence prevention centers at the University of Colorado and University of Nebraska will culminate in a Visiting Scholars Symposium hosted by the Oglala Lakota College in South Dakota that serves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
- Through contracts with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, we will serve as evaluators for the new Iowa Core State Injury Prevention grant as well as the Overdose to Action, Rape Prevention Education, and Iowa Violent Death Reporting System grants.
- We will co-host a UI research partner stakeholder meeting on preventing firearms injuries and deaths in Iowa.
We wish everyone a safe and healthy 2024!
Published January 8, 2024