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Abstract #158303

Moira P. Donahue, MBA¹, Tasha P. Toby, MPH¹, Aliya Quraishi, MPH², Jacqueline Dukehart, MSc PH³, Robin Wilcox², Safe Kids Alameda County⁴, Safe Kids Chicagoland⁵, Safe Kids Dallas Area⁶, Safe Kids Mid-South⁷, Safe Kids New York City⁸, Safe Kids Oklahoma State⁹, Safe Kids Orange County¹⁰, Safe Kids St. Louis¹¹, Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin¹², and Safe Kids Tampa¹³. (1) Walk This Way Program, Safe Kids Worldwide, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004, 202-662-0637, mdonahue@safekids.org, (2) Program Dept., Safe Kids Worldwide, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004, (3) Safe Kids Worldwide, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004, (4) EMS, Alameda County Public Health Department, 1000 San Leandro Blvd., Suite 1000, San Leandro, CA 94577, (5) Children's Memorial Hospital, 2300 Children's Plaza, Box 62, Chicago, IL 60614, (6) Children's Medical Center of Dallas, 1935 Motor Street, Dallas, TX 75235, (7) Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, 850 Poplar Ave., Building 1, Memphis, TN 38105, (8) NYC Department of Transportation, 40 Worth Street, Room 1035, New York, NY 10013, (9) Oklahoma State Department of Health, Nicholson Tower RM-3N500, 940 NE 13th, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, (10) Children's Safety Village of Central Florida, Inc., 910 Fairvilla Rd., Orlando, FL 32808, (11) Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, 7980 Clayton Rd, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63117, (12) Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 1533 N. River Center Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53212, (13) St Joseph Children's Hospital of Tampa, 1401A E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33612

Purpose: To determine pedestrian-related behavioral and environmental risk factors among African-American males that may contribute to their disproportionately high incidence of child pedestrian death and injury. To determine protective factors for children at low risk for pedestrian-related death and injury.

Methods: Safe Kids coalitions conducted focus groups with four target populations: 1) African-American males, ages 6-14, low-income areas, high population density (high-risk group); 2) parents/caregivers of group one; 3) Caucasian females, ages 6-14, moderate- to high-income areas, lower population density (low-risk group); and 4) parents/caregivers of group three. Self-administered surveys gathered basic demographic information, perceptions of neighborhood safety, attitudes and behavior of child pedestrians.

Results: Findings suggest that a high prevalence of crime in neighborhoods with high-risk males has a negative effect on their pedestrian safety behavior and their parents/caregivers' view of pedestrian-related injury as a serious issue. In terms of pedestrian safety behavior, the poor practice of mid-block crossing is practiced by children in both risk groups. Parents from both groups are concerned about child abductions and teach children to avoid strangers, diluting pedestrian safety teachings. In terms of environmental pedestrian safety measures, all parent and child groups report inconsistencies in traffic calming/regulating devices in residential settings. Findings will be used to guide messaging for the Safe Kids Walk This Way pedestrian safety program.

Conclusions: Childhood injury prevention programs should address the impact of crime, lack of pedestrian safety resources and traffic enforcement on child pedestrian behavior in high-risk communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe risk factors that influence the likelihood of pedestrian-related death and injury for high-risk child pedestrians.
• Apply research techniques to developing childhood injury prevention messages tailored to high-risk child pedestrians and their parents/caregivers.

Keywords: Injury Prevention, Children

Related Web page: www.safekids.org/wtw

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.