Read the CDC Injury Prevention and Control website; Child safety and injury prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/safechild/. Additionally review the CDC Childhood Injury report.
For this discussion share an outline with supportive content for the implementation of a simple educational program or intervention to promote health and reduce injury risk for the childhood and/or adolescent population. Focus can be for an individual, specific group or population. Include the topic, target audience /learner characteristics, statistics of why topic is important, population affected and pertinent risk factors. Include, objectives, goals, the intervention and means you will use to evaluate the program. Show evidence based support for the intervention. Comment on others projects and share ideas and interventions supported by studies
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Childhood and adolescent injury prevention is a crucial aspect of healthcare. According to the CDC, over 12,000 children and adolescents die, and over 9.2 million are treated in emergency departments yearly for nonfatal injuries. A simple educational program can be implemented to promote health and minimize the risk of injury and promote the quality of life for children and adolescents. The program can be tailored to the characteristics of the target audience and supported by evidence-based research.
Outline:
Topic: Distracted driving prevention for adolescents
Target audience/learner characteristics: Adolescents aged 15-19 who are beginning to drive or are the passengers of drivers their age.
Statistics of why topic is important: Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15-19, and distraction-related accidents are on the rise.
Population affected and pertinent risk factors: Adolescents who are beginning to drive or are the passengers of drivers their age are at risk. Risk factors include inexperience, phones, loud music, and too many passengers in the car.
Objectives: To educate adolescents on the risks of distracted driving and the importance of staying focused while on the road. To reduce the number of car accidents involving adolescents.
Goals: To increase student knowledge of the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of staying focused on the road. To create an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their experiences related to distracted driving.
Intervention: We will use interactive classroom sessions, workshops with local police departments, and visual aids to educate students on the dangers of distracted driving. These sessions will address phone use, music controls, and the presence of friends in the car. The program will also discuss creating a plan before driving, finding a designated texter, and keeping phones in the glove compartment to avoid distractions.
Evaluation: The program will be evaluated through pre and post-test assessments to measure knowledge gained, attitude change and intent to change behavior. Self-reported number of distractions while driving, traffic crash statistics in the community before and after the program will be evaluated.
Evidence-based support for the intervention:
Numerous studies have shown that distracted driving education programs can be effective in reducing risky driving behaviors among adolescents. Research has shown that interactive classroom sessions and peer-led discussions improve knowledge acquisition and retention. Additionally, interventions that include law enforcement and the use of visual aids have been shown to be effective in reducing risky behaviors while driving.
Comment on others’ projects and share ideas and interventions supported by studies:
One effective intervention is the implementation of graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) systems that provide an opportunity for teenagers to practice driving under low-risk conditions before driving unsupervised. Additionally, there is evidence supporting interventions such as parental restrictions, eye tracking technology, real-time feedback, and motivational interviewing, which could also be implemented as part of a comprehensive safe driving program.
