Pediatric Pedestrian Trauma Study: A Pilot Project

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of the WalkSafe Program, a school based educational injury prevention program for children grades Kindergarten through 5.

Methods: A randomized comparative design was used for this study. The study was conducted in two high-risk urban school districts, which were chosen based on the geographic areas with the highest pedestrian injury and fatality rates. Four elementary schools (two in each district) were identified as potential study sites. Two intervention schools, one in each school district, were randomly chosen to receive the WalkSafe program; the other two schools served as controls, and received no intervention. The data was collected within the classroom setting for both the intervention and control schools. All elementary school children were administered the same pedestrian safety questionnaire as a pre-test, post-test and at three months following the intervention.

Results: A total of 2300 children participated in the WalkSafe program. The intervention (I) schools showed significant improvement in post-test scores then the control (C) schools (p = 0.012), and the (I) schools were able to maintain their test scores as reflected in a three-month follow-up evaluation (p = 0.47). Grades 3–5 of the (I) schools showed significant improvement in their test scores over grades K–2 (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: The WalkSafe program was shown to improve the pedestrian safety knowledge of elementary school children. Future research will include implementing the WalkSafe program at each elementary school within a single high-risk district.

Keywords:

• Pediatric
• Pedestrian
• Safety
• Education
• Injury Prevention
• Intervention

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Funded in part by the Florida Department of Transportation, Grant #PS-02-08-07 and the Trauma Research Institute at the Ryder Trauma Center.

The Ryder Trauma Center Resuscitation unit, Funded by FDOT Grant #PS-02-08-07. Pediatric Pedestrian Injury Task Force: Joy Riddell, Henry Oliver, Jose Guerrier, Brian Hannigan, David Henderson, Mimi Sutherland, Frank Cobo, Chief P. Cuccaro, Lt. E. Castaner, John Dibenedetto, Catherine Poindujour, Harvey Bernstein, Jayne Greenberg, Samuel J. Stinson, Miriam Comer Linda Whey, Susan Keye, Pamela Sanders White, Cecil T. Daniels, and Emily Carroll.

Instructors and Support Staff: Julie Jackowski, Frank Pernas, Jaimie Pollard, Joann Pierre Louis, Jose Medina, Preeti Jois, Freddy Rodriguez, Kathryn Sapnas, Lynn Hausmann, Kedemah Dean, Peggy Boyle, Vicki Valleron-Fernandez, Cindy Magnole, Cary O'Day, David Lubowitz, and Paul Taber.

Notes

*p < .001.