The effects of sleep deprivation and text messaging on pedestrian safety in university students.

Study Objectives: This study assesses the impact of sleep deprivation and text messaging on pedestrian injury risk.

Methods: A total of 36 university students engaged in a virtual reality pedestrian environment in two conditions: sleep deprived (no sleep previous night) and normal sleep (normal sleep routine). Sleep was assessed using actigraphy and pedestrian behavior via four outcomes: time to initiate crossing, time before contact with oncoming vehicle, hits/close calls, and looks left/right.

Supervision of young children in parking lots: Impact on child pedestrian safety.

Introduction: Pedestrian injuries are a significant pediatric public health concern worldwide. Younger children are at particular risk for pedestrian injuries in parking lots, but there is limited research regarding children's pedestrian behaviors in parking lots.

Method: This study examined children's behaviors and safety risks in parking lots through unobtrusive and unannounced observation of 124 children ages 2-10 years and their adult supervisors as they crossed a parking lot from their parked vehicle into a community recreation center.

Teaching infant car seat installation via interactive visual presence: An experimental trial.

Objective: A large portion of child restraint systems (car seats) are installed incorrectly, especially when first-time parents install infant car seats. Expert instruction greatly improves the accuracy of car seat installation but is labor intensive and difficult to obtain for many parents. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of 3 ways of communicating instructions for proper car seat installation: phone conversation; HelpLightning, a mobile application (app) that offers virtual interactive presence permitting both verbal and interactive (telestration) visual communication; and the manufacturer's user manual.

Systematic Review: Interventions to Educate Children About Dog Safety and Prevent Pediatric Dog-Bite Injuries: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Objective: Dog-bite injury posits a significant threat to children globally. This review evaluated efficacy of cognitive/behavioral interventions for improving children's knowledge and behaviors around dogs.

Methods: Manuscripts published before January 3, 2014 evaluating cognitive/behavioral interventions for dog-bite prevention among children <18 years of age were eligible for inclusion.