Injury Prevention Research Center

Every year in the U.S., around 3,500 infants die from sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) which is a sleep-related death. SUID is the leading cause of death for babies up to one year of age in the country. SUIDs include sudden and unexpected deaths where a cause can be identified (including accidental suffocation or strangulation…

University of Iowa assistant professor of epidemiology Jonathan Platt studies the bigger picture of why suicides are affecting some groups of youth more than others. Research shows an increasing trend of suicides among racially minoritized youth in the U.S., especially non-Hispanic Black youth. “The unanticipated rise in suicide deaths among non-Hispanic Black youth has drawn urgent calls from…

Victor Soupene, a PhD candidate in the University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, was empowered by his family’s experiences to pursue a career in epidemiology focusing on improving the health of workers. “Work in my family was always an important point of pride, but unfortunately, injuries were common,” he said. “I think back to my…

Former University of Iowa athlete and professional softball player Dr. Kristin Johnson talks about her UI IPRC pilot research results, why female athletes are at risk for injuries, and where more research is needed.

Two recent studies by researchers of the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (UI IPRC) looked at how much teens are responsible for car crashes in Iowa, which teens are at fault, and what medical costs result from everyone involved in the crashes.

The Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence, an interprofessional center housed in the UI College of Nursing, is leading the way to support and improve the care of older adults throughout Iowa. Here is how the Center addresses injuries and violence among older Iowans, what puts older Iowans in rural communities at risk, and what resources…

Last year Dr. Charles Jennissen, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in the University of Iowa Department of Emergency Medicine and the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, was the lead author of an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement with recommendations to prevent child and youth ATV-related injuries and deaths. Here, he discusses how adult-sized ATVs,…

Dr. Rachel Young and her co-author, Dr. Melissa Tully, found that adolescents who said their parents had a more autonomy-supportive style (versus a controlling style) felt more comfortable discussing online experiences with their parents and reported fewer risky online experiences. She discusses what current research says about monitoring adolescents’ digital media use and taking away…

Dr. Lucy Wibbenmeyer talks about the dangers of frostbite and the importance and challenges of frostbite injury prevention research.

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 – by conducting research, doing outreach work, or training the next generation of injury and violence prevention professionals. Here, we look back at some of…