For more than a quarter-century, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) has transformed and advanced the field of injury control. At the start of our second quarter- century, IPRC is positioned to continue to be a world leader in collaborative efforts to reduce the incidence and consequences of injury and violence. Our Mission of building the field of injury and violence prevention and control is implemented in our Vision of collaborative evidence-based action in local, state, national, and global communities. The theme for the 5-year cycle proposed in this application is Preventing Injury and Violence by Connecting Interdisciplinary Research to Programs, Policy and Practice. IPRC has three Cores, each with its own Aim.
The Aim of the Administration & Leadership Core is to Foster and Sustain Innovative Interdisciplinary Research.
The Aim of the Outreach & Translation Core is to Translate Research Findings into Programs, Policies, and Practice.
The Aim of the Training & Education Core is to Train the Next Generation of Injury Researchers and Practitioners. IPRC research activities are focused on six program areas: Motor Vehicle-related Injury, Violence Against Children & Youth, Prescription Drug Overdose, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Intimate Partner Violence, and Falls in Older Adults. The four research projects proposed in this application address four of these six areas. Project 1 is a Falls Prevention project entitled There is No BEAUTY in Falling (Bringing Education and Understanding to You). It addresses falls prevention using hair stylists to deliver falls prevention messaging. Project 2 is a Traumatic Brain Injury project entitled Head Impact Biomechanics as a Behavior Modification Tool to Reduce Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Risk. It examines a behavioral intervention that uses advanced helmet technology to help youth football athletes develop safer tackling techniques. Project 3 is Motor Vehicle-related Injury project entitled Driver Licensing Policies and Young People in NC: Unintended Consequences on Racial/Ethnic Minority Populations. It quantifies the effect of graduated driver licensing in minority and economically underserved communities using road traffic crash data and driver licensing data. Project 4 is a Prescription Drug Overdose project entitled Evaluation of the Proactive Reporting Provision of North Carolina's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. It studies the effect of introducing proactive reporting into the state's prescription drug monitoring program using data from the monitoring program database. In addition to these research projects, the outreach, translation, and training initiatives proposed in this application are designed to facilitate workforce development and policy change. IPRC has developed innovative techniques for translating scientific research into tangible changes in policies and practice. Our enhanced capacity for research translation is due in part to our significant staff expertise in this area and in part to ur long-standing history of active collaboration with our state's Injury and Violence Prevention Branch in the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services.
Violence and injuries are a major public health concern. Violence and injuries kill more people ages 1 to 44 years in the U.S. than any other cause. Violence and injuries cost more than $406 billion in medical care and lost productivity in the U.S each year. Our center's purpose is to advance the field of injury control by connecting innovative interdisciplinary research to injury/violence prevention programs, policy, and practice. ADMINISTRATIVE CORE
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