Teen access to civil protection orders varies by state
A new study found adolescents experiencing intimate partner violence may not be able to file a civil protective order across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Researchers found laws vary state by state. Currently, only 48 states allow minors to obtain a civil protective order, or CPO. The study, “Variation in State Laws on Access to Civil Protection Orders for Adolescents Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence,” was published January in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Lead author on the study was postdoctoral research fellow Avanti Adhia, Sc.D., of Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center. HIPRC-affiliated co-authors include core member Mary Fan, M.Phil, J.D., Director Monica Vavilala, M.D., and core member Fred Rivara, M.D., MPH. The study was also covered by Reuters.
Photo by Toimetaja Tõlkebüroo
Firearm program leaders call for action to prevent firearm violence
Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program Director Fred Rivara, M.D., MPH, and Co-director Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., MPH, Ph.D., penned an urgent call to action in the wake of local gun violence. The Seattle Timespublished the op-ed just days after several high profile shootings in Seattle in late January, including a mass shooting downtown that injured a child.
"Firearm violence affects all of us, directly or indirectly," they wrote, and called on members of the public to tell their elected officials about the importance of policies to support research and prevention around firearm injuries.
Study: Most Wash. hospital websites hinder non-English speakers
Researchers at UW Medicine’s Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC) and Washington State University found that many Washington hospital websites pose barriers for patients with limited English proficiency. The study was published Jan. 27 in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health and is part of a growing body of research to understand health inequities.
Lead author Janessa Graves, Ph.D., MPH, is a researcher at Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health, and an associate professor of WSU College of Nursing. HIPRC-affiliate co-authors on the paper include core faculty Megan Moore, Ph.D., MSW, and Director Monica Vavilala, M.D.
Rural kids carrying handguns is ‘not uncommon’ and starts as early as sixth grade
Roughly one-third of young males and 1 in 10 females in rural communities have carried a handgun, reports a new University of Washington study. And, the study found, many of those rural kids started carrying as early as the sixth grade. Rural communities from Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, and Maine were included in the study
“This is one of the first longitudinal studies of rural adolescent handgun carrying across multiple states in the U.S. It provides evidence that youth handgun carrying in these settings is not uncommon,” said lead author Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Ph.D., M.D. a UW associate professor of epidemiology and co-director of Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program at Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center.
Featured Faculty: Young Investigators Unite
Psychology, pediatrics, new trauma surgeons; these are just a few of the many backgrounds represented in Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center’s new Young Investigators Group. Elizabeth Killien, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics and a core faculty member here at HIPRC, is one of the researchers working together with others during the early stages of her career.
The Young Investigators Group, organized by Education Core Assistant Director Christopher DeCou, Ph.D., started in December 2019 and has about a dozen members. They meet monthly to share ideas on navigating challenges such as balancing clinical time and research time, applying for grant funding, and progressing toward their professional goals. Read more about the Young Investigators Group on the HIPRC blog.
Higher drowning deaths associated with fewer regulations on open water swimming
A new study found states with more comprehensive swim regulations in open bodies of water have lower drowning death rates. Drowning death rates were three to four times lower in states with regulations compared to states with no regulations, researchers from Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center found. The study, “Association of designated open water swim area regulations and open water drowning rates,” published in Injury Prevention, was led by HIPRC associate member Linda Quan, M.D., of Seattle Children’s Hospital and UW Medicine. HIPRC Research Scientist Brianna Mills, Ph.D., was a co-author on the paper.
Photo by Ian Schneider
Event Calendar
March 6 (Friday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Journal Club – Safe & Active Transport with Beth Ebel, M.D.
March 11 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress - "Evaluation of pre-hospital blood product use by air medical services" with Elissa Butler, M.D.
March 13, (Friday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Early Career Researcher Collaboration Lunch
March 18 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – "A Big Data Approach to Discovering More Effective Antiepileptic Drug Combinations in Refractory Epilepsy" with Nick Poolos, M.D., Ph.D.
March 25 (Wednesday) 1-2 p.m. PST: Work-in-Progress – Work-in-Progress – TBD with Mark Sodders, DAOM, L.Ac
Unless noted otherwise, all events take place at HIPRC offices. Remote options are available for some events - contact hiprc@uw.edu for details.
Core member Eileen Bulger, M.D., was quoted by Samaa TV on the importance of emergency bleeding control to prevent deaths in a story about road fatalities in Pakistan.
Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program Director Fred Rivara, M.D., MPH, is quoted on the dangers of high-capacity magazines by the Bainbridge Island Review.
Associate member Caleb Banta-Green, Ph.D., discussed how residents of homeless encampments may help support each other in emergencies with The Seattle Times.
Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program Co-director Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., Ph.D., discusses the challenges posed by gaps in firearm data and the benefits of closing those gaps with The Seattle Times.
Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program Co-director Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, M.D., Ph.D., helped prepare a King County report on youth gun violence and suicides reported on by Seattle Weekly and covered in other local outlets.
Coin-shaped batteries, or “button batteries,” are attractive to small kids and can lead to serious injuries in the ear, nose, or mouth. If a battery has been inserted, doctors recommend taking the child to the emergency department as soon as possible. Simple steps can help prevent these injuries, which have become more common as more household devices run on these small batteries.
Photo by Minnie Zhou
Funding Opportunities
Grant Application:CDC Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth (K01) Application Deadline: April 1, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an amendment to RFA-CE-20-002, Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth.
The purpose of this amendment is to increase the number of awards NCIPC intends to fund from two to five, and to accommodate funding of research that examines firearm-related behavior, crime, injuries and deaths among children and youth or includes firearm-related behavior, crime, injuries and deaths among children and youth as outcomes. All five (5) awards are intended to support research that addresses at least one of the interpersonal violence prevention research gaps in the NCIPC Research Priorities as they relate to violence impacting children or youth (ages 0 to 17 years)
Other Opportunities
Call for Webinar Proposals:SAVIR Webinar Series Deadline for Fall 2020: April 1, 2020
The purpose of the SAVIR webinars is to improve the scope and quality of injury control research by providing a regular forum for increasing interaction and skills among key injury stakeholders: researchers, trainees, organizations (e.g. ICRCs, NCIPC, SAVIR, Safe States, etc.), and practitioners. The webinars will showcase injury and violence research in order to:
Increase attention to injury issues among those new to the field
Exchange methods and approaches
Disseminate and discuss research findings
We welcome presentations on any injury topics, special populations, methodological issues, policy dilemmas, etc. We are especially interested in presentations that showcase collaborations among centers, across disciplines, and between researchers and practitioners.
A new study found adolescents experiencing intimate partner violence may not be able to file a civil protective order across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Researchers found 
Researchers at UW Medicine’s Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC) and Washington State University found that 
Roughly one-third of young males and 1 in 10 females in rural communities have carried a handgun, reports a new University of Washington study. And, the study found, 
Psychology, pediatrics, new trauma surgeons; these are just a few of the many backgrounds represented in Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center’s new Young Investigators Group. Elizabeth Killien, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics and a core faculty member here at HIPRC, is one of the researchers working together with others during the early stages of her career.
A new study found states with more comprehensive swim regulations in open bodies of water have lower drowning death rates. 
Small batteries used in toys, remote controls, key fobs, flashing shoes, light-up decorations, and other electronic devices can be a danger to young children. 
