Other Research
NIPPER
(Neighbourhood Injury Prevention Programme for Education and Research) was launched in May 1988 as a pilot study being conducted in a target area in the northern suburbs of Perth using the logo “Looking after NIPPER”. It included the postcode areas 6018, 6021, 6022, 6060, 6061, 6064.
The Injury Surveillance System at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) recorded 1032 children from the target area attended PMH with an injury in 1988. The cost of caring for injured children from this area alone is approximately $5,500 per day and around $2 million per year.
NIPPER is an injury intervention based on the hypothesis that people will change their behaviour and attitude to their environment when informaed of the frequency at which children are injured, the nature of these injuries and the value of injury prevention. It is proposed that education about, and awareness of the problems associated with injury will enable the community to make informed decisions, which will lead to changes in their environment and their behaviour, and to reduce the frequency of injury. A similar scheme was introduced into the Swedish community of Falkoping where injury rates were reduced by 10- 30% over a three year period.
The success of the project depends upon the participation of the entire community in the target area. Members of the community will be made aware of the hazards and risks in their environment and be encouraged to change their environment, their attitudes towards childhood injury and to introduce measures which will diminish the chance of injury.
The NIPPER Project was successfully completed in 1993 following two phases of implementation:
- PHASE I (1987-90): demonstrated that over a period of 3 years, a community based injury prevention project could effect a statistically significant reduction of injury attendances at the hospital, however the project had not affected the rate of more severe injuries.
- PHASE I recorded a 23% reduction in injury over the 3 year period compared with the controlled area.
- PHASE II (1991-92): resulted in an overall reduction of 10.8% in injuries.
Drowning Report
In 1998 Kidsafe WA conducted “A Descriptive Study of Childhood Drowning in Western Australia: 1987 to 1996”. The study was sponsored by Healthway and The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia.
The prevention of drowning and near drowning in children under five years is a continuing priority in Western Australia. Based on other descriptive studies and past research, nationally and internationally, a number of potential risk factors have been identified. The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia commissioned WA to undertake a descriptive study to identify the factors which contribute to an immersion incident among Western Australian children under five years of age.
Final Report – A Descriptive Study of Childhood Drowning in Western Australia:1987 to 1996
Annual Drowning Reports are produced by the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (WA) and can be obtained by visiting www.lifesavingwa.com.au
Child Car Restraints Report
Over the past few year Kidsafe WA has conducted a number of studies into child car restraint use and misuse. Several papers have also been presented at conference in Australia and Overseas.
Operating a Child Car Restraint Fitting Service in Perth
Western Australia.
Child Car Restraint checking was first piloted in WA in 1998 by Kidsafe WA and had similar findings to services conducted in other states. The BankWest Rural Child Restraint Program and Free Child Car Restraint Checking Stations conducted by Roadwise committees developed from these pilots.
In 1999, the Injury Control Program, Health Department of WA prepared the document; Child Car Restraints in Western Australia, A Framework for Action which outlined 5 objectives to achieve the vision of reducing the number of deaths and injuries to WA child motor vehicle occupants aged 0 – 14 years involved in motor vehicle crashes.
Establishment of accredited training for Type 1 fitters and the development of a network of fitting stations have taken a long time to finalise. When periodic free checking stations ceased in 2001, public appeal to Kidsafe WA resulted in the development of a Centre based child car restraint fitting and checking service, which is currently the only formalised child car restraint fitting service in WA. This report looks at what the Kidsafe WA comprehensive Child Car Restraint Fitting, Checking, Hiring, Information and Advice service sees in relation to use and misuse of Child Car Restraints in Western Australia.
Final Paper – Operating a Child Car Restraint Fitting Service in
Perth Western Australia.
A review of child car restraint recommendations and information for the transport of premature babies
Kidsafe WA CEO Sue Wicks' recent completion of her MPH with a literature review of currently available information and recommendations for the transport of premature infants will add to the status of Kidsafe WA in this area. Infant car restraints are invaluable in reducing death and injury in car crashes. They are however, designed for infants that fit within average size and weight parameters. Some infants, such as premature and low birth weight infants are outside these parameters and consequently may not fit securely in infant restraints.
Other Resources Annual Reports are produced by the Office of Road Safety on "Reported Road Crashes in WA" and can be obtained by visiting: www.officeofroadsafety.wa.gov.au.
