General Injury Research

Along with our exhaustive research into children’s injuries in motor vehicle crashes, the Center seeks to prevent injuries inflicted by everyday hazards, from household items to bicycle accidents and skateboard injuries.

Researchers at the Center look at all aspects of injury, including what may be the source of unsafe behaviors in the first place. For example, we have discovered that children's television programs might promote risky behaviors by depicting these behaviors without consequences. In addition, researchers are using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.

Multiple techniques, including epidemiological and statistical analyses, bioinformatics, and computer modeling are used in the analysis of the data received. This methodology allows researchers to identify common mechanisms of injury to children- for example, bicycle handlebars are a common source of childhood injury- and determine ways to mitigate this problem. In this case, we have invented a patented design for a safer, energy-absorbing handlebar which is available for licensing External Website.

Publications and presentations on this work have led to the development of enhancements in the use of existing safety technologies and the development of new technology.

Once an injury has occurred, injury control efforts focus on maximizing emotional recovery. For this phase, researchers at the Center are conducting scientific inquiry that will lead to the improved identification and treatment of the psychological consequences of injury, in particular, post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, researchers are studying the discharge planning process from the acute hospital stay and the optimization of care during the early recovery period.

General Injury Research Projects, Programs and Networks

  • Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia (IFCK)
    The Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Philadelphia works in the West Philadelphia community to prevent unintentional childhood injury. The coalition's grassroots-based approach focuses on topics such as: home safety, bicycle safety, alternatives to and reduction of violence and pedestrian safety.
  • Skateboard-Related Injuries External Website
    The rate of skateboard-related injuries doubled between 1993 and 1998 according to researchers at the Center. A significant proportion of these injuries might have been prevented by avoiding skateboarding in streets and by using basic safety equipment. The study, involving data from 1987 to 1998, is the first national participation-based estimate of injuries associated with common sports. Findings from the study are published in the October 2002 issue of Journal of Trauma.
  • Philadelphia Collaborative for Violence Prevention
    Violence is taking its toll among young people in many of the country’s urban communities, including Philadelphia, where the Center for Injury Research and Prevention is based. The Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC) was established in 2006 as a partnership among leading research institutions and community-based violence prevention programs. This synergistic partnership is facilitated through a cooperative agreement with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the goal of preventing violence and aggression in the lives of young people in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

Our Research

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Patented bicycle handlebar reduces abdominal injuries External Website
Annually more than 1100 children in the United States suffer serious internal organ injuries due to bicycle crashes not involving motor vehicles. The majority of these injuries, as many as 900, are due to handlebar impact. To mitigate these injuries, researchers at the Center developed a patented bicycle handlebar to reduce the forces transmitted to the child’s abdomen during an impact with the handlebars. This technology is also available as a retrofit handlebar, and both are available for licensing.