Injury Prevention Research Center

As a PhD student in the University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, Emily Acers is dedicated to advancing our understanding of injury prevention, with a particular focus on mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI), more commonly known as concussions. Acers is evaluating the effectiveness of Iowa’s Return to Learn (RTL) policy, which provides guidelines for how…

Published February 4, 2025 House fires can lead to deaths, serious injuries, and loss of property. Fires and burns are among the 10 causes of preventable injury deaths in the U.S., resulting in over 3,400 deaths every year. In 2014, structural fires, not associated with wildfires, cost the U.S. over $328 billion. Past research has…

2024 was a big year for our center! In the summer, we learned that we were refunded as one of 11 Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the next five years, our $4.3 million grant will allow us to continue addressing urgent injury and violence…

In communities, the scope and severity of violence – such as child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence, bullying, sexual violence, and suicide – are often determined by how many cases are reported. However, a new state report offers insights about lived experiences, behaviors, and perceptions of these types of violence by discussing survey results…

Unintentional falls are a leading cause of non-fatal injuries in children and the most common reason young children are injured at home. Last year falls accounted for 42% of traumatic injuries among children admitted to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Nina Jovanovic talks about her research in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the factors that put children at risk for eye injuries, the role parents can play in prevention, and the impact these injuries have on children’s quality of life, social inclusion, and academic performance.

The University of Iowa Threat Assessment Team (TAT), a unit of Campus Safety, works with campus and community partners to prevent violence and maintain safety by assessing, monitoring, and providing support for people exhibiting unusual distress, fixated grievances, or troubling behaviors. The TAT depends on partners and the public to report concerning behaviors they observe.

On June 11, the UI IPRC team participated in a full day conference on the reservation addressing violence and injury prevention in Indian country, as part of a new regional partnership called TIPP (Tri-state Injury Prevention Partnership) Focused on Indigenous Populations.

Research shows that kids who begin drinking alcohol at young ages are more likely to be in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash. Driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances not only poses a serious risk to the lives of young drivers but also endangers their friends and other road users. While some parents introduce alcohol…

In the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of death of children ages 1-4 and the second cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14. Most drowning deaths of younger children occur in swimming pools. Black children ages 10-14 drown at higher rates than white children and are more likely to drown in public pools. Having…