UIowa Injury Center

🧠 Brain Injury Awareness Month begins in a few days... Maggie Ferguson, project director for the Disability and Injury Prevention Programs @IowaHHS, is shining a light on brain injury in #Iowa – a common, often undiagnosed chronic condition that can cause lifelong challenges without an individual’s awareness. According to the 2023 Iowa BRFSS survey, approximately 570,000 adult Iowans (26%) ages 18 and older have experienced a brain injury. In our new blog post, Maggie discusses why lifetime brain injury screening is important, why proper treatment and prevention are critical for young people, and how Iowa is creating stronger #brain injury programming across the state. 👉 Read the blog post: bit.ly/4saRQ8v #concussions #TBI

The UI IPRC joined our fellow CDC Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) for a congressional briefing in Washington D.C. about the importance of mental health and #injury prevention research. Josh Gautreaux, PhD student @UIowaCPH and Marine Corps Veteran, presented "Investing in the Next Generation: How Research Training Strengthens Our Response to Rural Veteran Suicide Risk." #rural #veterans #suicide @UMInjuryCenter @UNC_IPRC

A new @uiowa multi‑phase study developed and tested a patient decision aid (PtDA) tailored for Reserve and National Guard women #Veterans to promote safe #firearm storage and #suicide prevention through informed decision-making. Researchers used interviews, surveys, and user‑testing to develop and refine the PtDA based on Veteran and provider input. Researchers found: ➡️ Veterans reported high satisfaction with the PtDA’s information, tone, and preventative approach. ➡️ Among those using shared decision‑making (SDM), nearly half had loaded, accessible firearms, and 70% said SDM made them more likely to create and act on a safety plan. Veterans’ high satisfaction with this PtDA indicates its potential to encourage firearm safety planning, engage support, and foster firearm safety conversations to prevent suicide among women Veterans. 🔍 Learn more about the study: bit.ly/4aWc54d

New research from the University of Iowa offers new insight into how #concussions relate to sleep among U.S. high school students. Analyzing survey data from 2017, 2019, and 2021, researchers explored whether teens who report concussions were more likely to experience insufficient sleep. Key findings: ➡️ Students reporting 4 or more concussions had a lower odds of insufficient sleep compared to those reporting no concussions. ➡️ Students with one reported concussion had higher odds of insufficient sleep. The relationship between reported concussions and insufficient sleep may reflect that students with multiple concussions are more likely to receive ongoing medical care, including education about sleep hygiene and concussion recovery, which may support improved sleep outcomes. 🔍 Learn more about the study: bit.ly/4rDi7fV

We want people to be safe everywhere 💛 🏚️ Safe at home 🚴‍♀️ Safe in your community 🚜 Safe at work 🩷 Emotional safety/ mental health Visit our website for safety resources for you, your family, and your community: bit.ly/4anAY8A

Research @uiowa reveals how driving stress influences safer driving habits among adults 65+. Researchers surveyed 223 older drivers to explore older drivers’ driving behaviors and perceptions. Some findings: 🚗 Older adults who felt less confident in their driving or had a recent crash experienced more driving stress—and that stress is what pushed them to change their driving habits. 👵 Older women reported more driving stress and were more likely to limit when and where they drive, which may lead some to stop driving earlier than necessary. 🚦 Driving stress may actually serve as an important warning sign that an older driver is becoming aware of changes in their driving ability. 🔍 Learn more about the study and its implications for supporting safe mobility in older adulthood: bit.ly/4qsk3Gt

📢 New brief: The 2024 @IowaHHS Iowa Trauma Registry Report, published in 2025, showcases the strength and commitment of Iowa’s #trauma system to protect the health and well-being of Iowans, while identifying trends and challenges. Some key findings: ➡️ Older Iowans continue to experience a growing share of serious injuries, driven largely by the state’s aging population and the increasing number of falls‑related incidents. Adults 65 and older account for more than half of all trauma events. ➡️ Falls remain both the leading cause of injury and the primary reason for reinjury within a year. Falls also remain the top cause of trauma‑related deaths in Iowa. ➡️In Iowa, there is an urgent need for targeted #falls prevention, especially among older adults. 🔗Read more findings in our new brief: bit.ly/3M7eMWW

A new University of Iowa study examined how the stress of the COVID‑19 pandemic affected Reserve and National Guard women Veterans—especially those with a history of traumatic #brain injury (#TBI). The study found: • Women Veterans with prior TBI reported more severe #depression symptoms. • COVID‑19–related stress explained over a third of this association. • Stress tied to daily necessities (like food and housing) was especially impactful. 👉 Read the full article here: bit.ly/4pZZ4uk

🎉Welcome to our first blog post of 2026! We look back at some of our Center’s highlights in 2025. ➡️Go here to read our blog post bit.ly/4sROEzP

A new University of Iowa study explored how #firearm safety programs can better engage #rural, farming families. Focus groups were conducted with rural Iowa parents with at least one firearm at home. Key findings include: 👮 Trusted messengers: Parents identified law enforcement, Department of Natural Resources personnel, and community members affected by firearm violence as the most credible voices. 🧑‍🏫 Less trusted messengers: Teachers, healthcare professionals, and celebrities were viewed as less trusted for firearm safety messaging. 🌱 Use existing programs: Integrating firearm safety into schools, 4-H, FFA, and local safety courses was recommended. 🔒 Mixed views on safety devices: Opinions varied on distributing firearm locks and safes. 👉 Read the full article here: bit.ly/4sNJeFN

A new University of Iowa study examined #bicycle helmet use and attitudes among #rural adolescents in #Iowa. 🔎 What the researchers found: • Helmet use is rare: 74% of rural adolescents said they rarely or never wear a bicycle helmet. • Parental rules matter: Adolescents whose parents enforced a strict “no helmet, no riding” rule were 32 times more likely to wear a helmet regularly than those without a rule. 👉 Read the full article: bit.ly/4qVW3wi

Stay connected with the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center! ✍️Join our Injury Blog at uiiprc.org 🗞️Subscribe to our newsletter for center news and opportunities: bit.ly/4q5FugH

Two new @uiowa studies shed light on road safety, one examining teenage drivers & passengers, and the other focusing on drivers across a broader range of ages. Key findings: ➡️Teens who perceived high parental monitoring engaged in fewer risky #driving and passenger behaviors. ➡️Having passengers in the vehicle was associated with drivers being less likely to be at fault in a failure-to-yield crash; however, this effect was observed only among drivers aged 45 and older. ✍️Our new blog post: bit.ly/4s1ul2y #RoadSafety #TeenDriving #OlderDriverSafety @IowaEpi

A new study published in @IP_BMJ examined #farm injury reports in Iowa from two different sources—Iowa Trauma Registry and Workers’ Compensation records. It found that each system captured different types of #injuries, with very little overlap. Injuries among older adults were more likely to be captured by the Iowa Trauma Registry, while injuries among younger agricultural workers were more likely to be captured by Workers’ Compensation records. Read the full publication: bit.ly/48S0HoB

Dr. Carri Casteel's Injury and Violence Prevention class @UIowaCPH wearing green for National Injury Prevention Day! #BeInjuryFree @InjuryFreeKids 💚💚💚

💚National Injury Prevention Day is November 18, and we've made a social media toolkit for people & partners to use to help spread awareness in #Iowa. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Iowans ages 1-44. Injuries are preventable! Go here to access the Iowa toolkit: bit.ly/4ihylaN #BeInjuryFree

Why do you wear green on National Injury Prevention Day? 💚Injury and violence prevention advocates across Iowa share their personal “why” in our new video, created in partnership with @UIchildrens. Join us in raising awareness and wearing green on November 18, 2025, for National Injury Prevention Day. Together, we can shine a light on the importance of safety and prevention in every community. 📷Watch the video and be inspired: youtu.be/ymFiATpF2oo @InjuryFreeKids #BeInjuryFree

New blog post📢 Read our interview with Jenna Gibbs, the new program manager for injury prevention and outreach @UIchildrens. She discusses pediatric agricultural #injuries— the importance of assigning #farm chores that are appropriate for a child’s age and abilities; the need to balance safety with real-world farm experiences; and the role of the Children’s Hospital in promoting safety in #rural communities, including during National Injury Prevention Day (Nov 18): bit.ly/4ozLGNL #BeInjuryFree