Injury Prevention and Safety Among African Americans IN Southeast Raleigh

Despite improvements in injury prevention over the last several decades, injuries continue to be the leading cause of death for persons between the ages of 1 and 44. The health and social costs associated with injuries in just one year exceed $180 billion. Moreover, the state of North Carolina experiences injury mortality rates (64.8 per 100,000) that are higher than U.S. national norms (56.0 per 100,000) (UNC-Chapel Hill Injury Prevention Center, 2006). While every person is at risk for injury, certain types of injuries appear to more detrimentally affect African Americans more than whites. These include motor-vehicle related and burn mortality among African American children, homicide victimization among African American youth, and fire-related deaths among African American elders aged 65 and older. This study used quantitative and qualitative data to identify, analyze, and document primary injuries by age and gender among African Americans in Southeast Raleigh. We also conducted seven focus groups with Southeast Raleigh residents to examine underlying causes of injury across age and gender. Study results revealed that community residents were very concerned regarding the high frequency of criminal activity in Southeast Raleigh neighborhoods, which contributed to increased visits to the hospital emergency room. With regards to the promotion of community safety, residents cited the importance of neighborhood watch groups as aiding in fostering safety and security in Southeast Raleigh. Study implications include promoting community events with community-based organizations, medical facilities, and the city police department as well as incorporating injury prevention and safety into existing community-based programs.