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Industrial Health Oct 2008Behavior models have provided an accident proneness concept based on life change unit (LCU) factors. This paper describes the development of a Korean Life Change Unit...
Behavior models have provided an accident proneness concept based on life change unit (LCU) factors. This paper describes the development of a Korean Life Change Unit (KLCU) model for workers and managers in fatal accident areas, as well as an evaluation of its application. Results suggest that death of parents is the highest stress-giving factor for employees of small and medium sized industries a rational finding the viewpoint of Korean culture. The next stress-giving factors were shown to be the death of a spouse or loved ones, followed by the death of close family members, the death of close friends, changes of family members' health, unemployment, and jail terms. It turned out that these factors have a serious effect on industrial accidents and work-related diseases. The death of parents and close friends are ranked higher in the KLCU model than that of Western society. Crucial information for industrial accident prevention in real fields will be provided and the provided information will be useful for safety management programs related to accident prevention.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidents, Occupational; Adult; Cultural Characteristics; Humans; Korea; Life Change Events; Models, Psychological; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult
PubMed: 18840937
DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.46.470 -
Journal of Electromyography and... Apr 2008Typical stability assessments characterize performance in standing balance despite the fact that most falls occur during dynamic activities such as walking. The... (Review)
Review
Typical stability assessments characterize performance in standing balance despite the fact that most falls occur during dynamic activities such as walking. The objective of this study was to identify dynamic stability differences between fall-prone elderly individuals, healthy age-matched adults, and young adults. Three-dimensional video-motion analysis kinematic data were recorded for 35 contiguous steps while subjects walked on a treadmill at three speeds. From this data, we estimated the vector from the center-of-mass to the center of pressure at each foot-strike. Dynamic stability of walking was computed by methods of Poincare analyses of these vectors. Results revealed that the fall-prone group demonstrated poorer dynamic stability than the healthy elderly and young adult groups. Stability was not influenced by walking velocity, indicating that group differences in walking speed could not fully explain the differences in stability. This pilot study supports the need for future investigations using larger population samples to study fall-prone individuals using nonlinear dynamic analyses of movement kinematics.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidental Falls; Adult; Aged; Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans; Postural Balance; Posture; Walking
PubMed: 17686633
DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2007.06.008 -
Accident; Analysis and Prevention May 2007Accident related health problems have been suggested to cluster within persons. This phenomenon became known as accident proneness and has been a subject of many... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Accident related health problems have been suggested to cluster within persons. This phenomenon became known as accident proneness and has been a subject of many discussions. This study provides an overview of accident proneness. Therefore, 79 articles with empirical data on accident rates were identified from databases Embase, Medline, and Psychinfo. First, definitions of accidents varied highly, but most studies focused on accidents resulting in injuries requiring medical attention. Second, operationalisations of accident proneness varied highly. Studies categorised individuals into groups with ascending accident rates or made non-accident, accident, and repetitive accident groups. Third, studies examined accidents in specific contexts (traffic, work, and sports) or populations (children, students, and patients). Therefore, we concluded that no overall prevalence rate of accident proneness could be given due to the large variety in operationalisations. However, a meta-analysis of the distribution of accidents in the general population showed that the observed number of individuals with repeated accidents was higher than the number expected by chance. In conclusion, accident proneness exists, but its study is severely hampered by the variation in operationalisations of the concept. In an effort to reach professional consensus on the concept, we end this paper with recommendations for further research.
Topics: Accidents; Cluster Analysis; Humans; Poisson Distribution; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; United States; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 17094932
DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2006.09.012 -
Europa Medicophysica Sep 2006With this study we wanted to determine the incidence, characteristics and consequences of falls in our rehabilitation setting.
AIM
With this study we wanted to determine the incidence, characteristics and consequences of falls in our rehabilitation setting.
METHODS
An observational study was carried out in a rehabilitation setting for postacute orthopedic and neurological inpatients. Three-hundred and twenty patients were enrolled. Falls risk factors (Downton index [DI] and other known parameters), disability (functional independence measure [FIM]) and balance (Berg balance scale [BBS]) were assessed at admission. Falls that occurred during the rehabilitation stay were prospectively classified (St. Louis Older Adult Service and Information System [OASIS] system) and analyzed.
RESULTS
Forty patients experienced a fall (12.5%). The faller group was characterized by a major clinical complexity; 70% of fallers were neurological patients and 30% presented cognitive impairment (mini mental state examination [MMSE] <24). They presented a statistically significant worse score on FIM (motor and cognitive), BBS and DI at admission, with 74% predictability of falls as measured by total FIM score and age. Falls recorded with the OASIS classification showed a prevalence (52.5%) for not bipedal (wheelchair transfer) and self-generated falls; 35% were intrinsic falls (caused by subject-specific factors) and 12.5% extrinsic falls (caused by environmental factors). Falls resulted in only minor clinical consequences, except for one rib fracture, but led to a significant increase in length of stay.
CONCLUSIONS
In a rehabilitation centre, for good management of resources and safe prescriptions of a patient's independence in activities of daily living, fall risk is better evaluated with appropriate scales.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidental Falls; Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Chi-Square Distribution; Disability Evaluation; Female; Humans; Incidence; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Postural Balance; Rehabilitation Centers; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric
PubMed: 17039213
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of the American Geriatrics... May 2006To test the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention to reduce functional difficulties, fear of falling, and home hazards and enhance self-efficacy and adaptive coping... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVES
To test the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention to reduce functional difficulties, fear of falling, and home hazards and enhance self-efficacy and adaptive coping in older adults with chronic conditions.
DESIGN
A prospective, two-group, randomized trial. Participants were randomized to a treatment group or no-treatment group.
SETTING
Urban community-living older people.
PARTICIPANTS
Three hundred nineteen community-living adults aged 70 and older who reported difficulty with one or more activities of daily living.
INTERVENTION
Occupational and physical therapy sessions involving home modifications and training in their use; instruction in strategies of problem-solving, energy conservation, safe performance, and fall recovery techniques; and balance and muscle strength training.
MEASUREMENTS
Outcome measures included self-rated functional difficulties with ambulation, instrumental activities of daily living, activities of daily living, fear of falling, confidence performing daily tasks, and use of adaptive strategies. Observations of home hazards were also conducted.
RESULTS
At 6 months, intervention participants had less difficulty than controls with instrumental activities of daily living (P=.04, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.28-0.00) and activities of daily living (P=.03, 95% CI=-0.24 to -0.01), with largest reductions in bathing (P=.02, 95% CI=-0.52 to -0.06) and toileting (P=.049, 95% CI=-0.35-0.00). They also had greater self-efficacy (P=.03, 95% CI=0.02-0.27), less fear of falling (P=.001, 95% CI=0.26-0.96), fewer home hazards (P=.05, 95% CI=-3.06-0.00), and greater use of adaptive strategies (P=.009, 95% CI=0.03-0.22). Benefits were sustained at 12 months for most outcomes.
CONCLUSION
A multicomponent intervention targeting modifiable environmental and behavioral factors results in life quality improvements in community-dwelling older people who had functional difficulties, with most benefits retained over a year.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Activities of Daily Living; Adaptation, Psychological; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Environment Design; Fear; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Home Care Services; Humans; Male; Motor Activity; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Prospective Studies; Self Efficacy; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 16696748
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00703.x -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Dec 2005
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidents; Adolescent; Child; England; Humans; Incidence; Literature, Modern; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 16373731
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.331.7531.1505 -
Injury Prevention : Journal of the... Feb 2004Injury recidivism among trauma patients may be related to an individual pattern of high risk behaviors. The extent to which an injury episode modifies this behavior...
Injury recidivism among trauma patients may be related to an individual pattern of high risk behaviors. The extent to which an injury episode modifies this behavior pattern is unknown. A self report, voluntary, anonymous, cross sectional survey was administered to motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders at a popular recreation site. Data included demographics, injury history, and current usage of helmet and protective gear. Two hundred eighty surveys were completed. History of ATV/motorcycle related minor and major injury were reported by 21% and 9%, respectively. Persons with a history of minor ATV/motorcycle injury only were less likely to use a helmet or protective equipment (78% v 74%, p = 0.58 and 49% v 41%, p = 0.29). Persons with a history of any major ATV/motorcycle injury were also less likely to use a helmet or protective equipment (77% v 56%, p = 0.03 and 48% v 40%, p = 0.53). These findings suggest a pattern of persistent high risk behavior among previously injured persons.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidents, Traffic; Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Head Protective Devices; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motorcycles; Off-Road Motor Vehicles; Protective Clothing; Risk-Taking; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 14760029
DOI: 10.1136/ip.2003.002626 -
Injury Prevention : Journal of the... Feb 2004The objective of this study was to determine the annual incidence of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving street racing and to describe the characteristics of these...
The objective of this study was to determine the annual incidence of fatal motor vehicle crashes involving street racing and to describe the characteristics of these crashes compared to other fatal crashes in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System data for 1998-2001 were used for the analyses. There were 149 568 fatal crashes and 315 (0.21%) involved street racing and 399 fatalities occurred in these crashes. In contrast to other fatal crashes, street racing fatal crashes were more likely to occur on urban roadways and were nearly six times more likely to occur at travel speeds> or = 65 mph. Compared with other drivers involved in fatal crashes, street racers were more likely to be teenagers, male, and have previous crashes and driving violations. Street racing involves risky driving behaviors and warrants further attention.
Topics: Accident Proneness; Accidents, Traffic; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Automobile Driving; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sex Factors; United States; Urban Health
PubMed: 14760028
DOI: 10.1136/ip.2003.003566 -
Srpski Arhiv Za Celokupno Lekarstvo 2003The idea to monitor and research psychopathological responses of physically injured persons in a more systematic manner has come from our observation of huge differences...
The idea to monitor and research psychopathological responses of physically injured persons in a more systematic manner has come from our observation of huge differences in patient behavior, whose psychological responses were noticeably changed and often inappropriate. The behavior aberrations were all the more striking because we treated war-time injuries in addition to peacetime ones. Our sample had 175 patient subjects, of both sexes, different ages, marital status and professions. A group of 70 patients treated in the Institute for Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology were divided into two subgroups. The first experimental subgroup (E1) consisted of 26 (37.1%) patients physically injured in combat. The second subgroup (E2) had 44 (62.9%) patients physically injured in peacetime circumstances (car accidents, work accidents, etc). The physical injuries encompassed injuries to spinal column and extremities. The control (K) consisted of 105 subjects without physical injuries. The clinical picture and psychological reactions of the patients were examined by means of 4 instruments--PTSD-10 scale or posttraumatic symptoms scale [1], Family Homogeneity Index/FHI/with 19 variables, applied to measure the relation between the family system homogeneity and accident effects [2], Short Eysenck's Personality Inventory applied to investigate neuroticism and extroversion and introversion traits [3], Late Effects of Accidental Injury Questionnaire [4]. Our observations of psychological responses of patients in our ward (insomnia, sedatives intake) were mostly confirmed by tests conducted with the above instruments. In the group of the wartime injured (E1), as well as in the control (K), Eysenck's scale proved a significantly higher degree of neuroticism in comparison to the peacetime injured. Such results indicated that the wartime injured would most probably develop the picture of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Such a conclusion was related not only to the seriousness of injuries but also to the circumstances of their occurrence. The proneness to develop PTSD symptoms was not in correlation with the preparedness for accident, it being much poorer in peace-time injuries, as opposed to wartime patients, who had been prepared to the possibility of injury occurrence. The highest value of family homogeneity (FHI) was established in the wartime injured, which led us to conclude that the injury contributed to the cohesion of the family from which the patient came. By extracting some questions related to psychopathological entities such as insomnia, depression, somatization, anxiety, and cognitive disorders, the following results were obtained. Depression was the most frequent in both groups of injuries. Anxiety was also present in the control group; and insomnia and somatization, that is, conversion symptoms, were present in both groups of the injured. By examining narrower psychological characteristics of the wartime injured revealed dissociation problems--derangement to be the most frequent. Then follow the symptoms of depression, which occur significantly more frequently in the wartime injured in comparison to the peacetime injured. The phenomenological symptoms of derangement and depression proved to be reliable parameters of physical trauma. It is also significant that the three characteristics showed correlation to psychopathological responses: severity of surgery, paralysis, and acute injury.
Topics: Accidents; Humans; Mental Disorders; Orthopedic Procedures; Personality Inventory; Psychological Tests; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Warfare; Wounds and Injuries
PubMed: 14692144
DOI: 10.2298/sarh0308306l -
Journal of Travel Medicine 2003Travel health risks documented by questionnaire surveys obtained (e.g., during homebound flights) are incomplete since they miss most patients who need to be repatriated.
BACKGROUND
Travel health risks documented by questionnaire surveys obtained (e.g., during homebound flights) are incomplete since they miss most patients who need to be repatriated.
METHODS
All patient claim files were reviewed from 1997 to 1998, of the largest Swiss travel insurance company.
RESULTS
Among 242 claims, 69.4% were due to illness, 30.6% due to accidents; infections were the most frequent illnesses, the extremities were the most frequently traumatized part of the body. Although the illness-to-accident ratio was 1:5 in industrialized countries and the Caribbean, it exceeded 3:0 in some developing regions. Accident proneness was noted in the first week abroad.
CONCLUSION
Even if no denominator data are available, this analysis offers an insight in travel health risks, allowing comparison of the occurrences of very different, serious, health problems abroad.
Topics: Accidents; Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Insurance; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Seasons; Sex Distribution; Switzerland; Time; Travel
PubMed: 12757694
DOI: 10.2310/7060.2003.35770