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Newspapers: a source for injury surveillance?
1University of North Carolina, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Chapel Hill.
American Journal of Public Health
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Newspapers effectively track child injury deaths, covering 96% of fire fatalities and 78% of drownings. This surveillance source provides more detail than medical examiner records on injury causes and prevention factors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Injury surveillance relies on various data sources.
- Newspapers are an underutilized resource for injury data collection.
- Assessing newspaper completeness and accuracy is crucial for surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate newspapers as a source for injury surveillance.
- To compare newspaper clippings with medical examiner records for child fatalities.
- To determine the extent, completeness, and accuracy of newspaper coverage.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of newspaper clippings and medical examiner records.
- Focused on 45 child residential fire deaths and 58 child drownings.
- Assessed coverage extent, completeness, and accuracy of newspaper reports.
Main Results:
- Newspapers covered 96% of fire fatalities and 78% of drownings.
- Newspaper reports contained more detailed information than medical examiner records.
- Specific details included fire cause, smoke detector presence, pool fencing, warning signs, and child supervision.
Conclusions:
- Newspapers serve as a valuable and comprehensive source for injury surveillance.
- Newspaper data can supplement traditional sources like medical examiner records.
- Utilizing newspaper data can enhance understanding of injury circumstances and prevention opportunities.