Qualitative research can be used to examine multiple factors associated with physical activity and help practitioners identify language used by the rural adult population when discussing this behavior. Three focus groups were conducted among 19 residents of multiple towns in a rural Midwestern county to examine the language and influences on rural physical activity. Focus group members were asked to define physical activity, exercise, community, and neighborhood. They were asked about the activities they engaged in and facilitators and barriers to those activities. A guidebook was developed to capture major themes and common patterns that emerged in the responses to the topics discussed. The data were reviewed for repeated statements and points that were agreed on by multiple participants. Important factors associated with physical activity include the importance of social support and modeling physical activity behavior. Also, the influence of pets and children was important for engaging these adults in physical activity. The focus group members engaged in walking and bicycling in their neighborhood streets and community trails, and desired to see community buildings be open to the public for exercise. This study revealed contextual issues and culturally relevant language for practitioners to use in tailoring physical activity measurement tools or designing interventions for a rural adult population. Social support (specifically, seeing others being active and using pets as motivators for being active) and policy attitudes may be targeted for interventions to increase physical activity in rural adults.

This study uses national data to describe the patterns and aetiologies for childhood falls in a high-income country, the United States. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data for children aged 0-17 years from the 2007 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Sample weights provided by NEDS were used to make national estimates. We estimated that in 2007 there were more than 2.3 million paediatric fall-related emergency department (ED) visits at a rate of 3217 visits per 100,000 children. Over 95% of those seen for fall injuries were treated and released. In addition, government sources made payments for just under one-third of these visits. Of those ED visits that result in hospitalisation, we found marked age patterns in bodily location of injury. The impact of fall-related injuries on EDs in the US is substantial within the paediatric population. The use of national level ED data shows age and gender patterns in paediatric fall injury not readily apparent in previous studies. There are patterns in external cause of injury and bodily location of injury that can be used to guide age specific prevention interventions.

Nearly 20% of children hospitalized for TBI never returned for outpatient follow-up and 27% missed appointments. Care providers need to educate families, coordinate service provision, and promote long-term monitoring.

While mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can lead to cognitive and functional impairments, little is known about how mTBI may affect driving, especially among young drivers who are at an increased risk of mTBI and motor vehicle collisions compared to other age groups. The objective of this multisite, pilot study was to examine the feasibility of assessing driving performance acutely post-injury (i.e., mTBI sustained < 2 weeks at assessment) among young drivers with and without mTBIs (N=42; nmTBI= 21; ncontrol=21) using high-fidelity driving simulators. Driving performance was hypothesized to be significantly degraded, especially under conditions of high cognitive load, among drivers with mTBI compared to matched controls. Neurocognitive measures used in clinical assessment of mTBI (i.e., Cogstate Brief Battery) were hypothesized to correlate with driving simulator performance metrics. Risk management protocols were successful (i.e., no participants withdrew due to simulator sickness) and no significant increase in post-concussion symptoms was found from pre-assessment to immediately following driving assessment. Group differences on key driving variables did not emerge; however, drivers with mTBI showed a differential pattern of driving under high cognitive load. Neurocognitive correlates of simulated driving performance suggested processing speed, attention, and working memory are important functions for driving. Implications and future directions discussed.