Abstract
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The use of recommended safety practices can reduce injuries. Children often learn behaviors from media exposure. Children’s movies released in 1995–2007 infrequently depicted appropriate injury prevention practices. The aim of this study was to determine if injury prevention practices in children’s movies have improved. The top grossing 25 G- and PG-rated movies in the United States per year for 2008–2012 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Movies or scenes were excluded if they were animated, not set in the present day, fantasy, documentary, or not in English. Injury prevention practices involving riding in a motor vehicle, walking, boating, bicycling, and four other activities were recorded for characters with speaking roles. Fifty-six (45 %) of the 125 movies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 603 person-scenes were examined involving 175 (29 %) children and 428 (71 %) adults. Thirty-eight person-scenes involved crashes or falls, resulting in four injuries and no deaths. Overall, 59 % (353/603) of person-scenes showed appropriate injury prevention practices. This included 313 (70 %) of 445 motor-vehicle passengers who were belted; 15 (30 %) of 50 pedestrians who used a crosswalk, 2 (7 %) of 30 boaters who wore personal flotation devices, and 8 (29 %) of 28 bicyclists who wore helmets. In comparison with previous studies, there were significant increases in usage of seat belts, crosswalks, personal flotation devices, and bicycle helmets. However, 41 % of person-scenes still showed unsafe practices and the consequences of those behaviors were infrequently depicted.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2014). Ten leading causes of death by age group, United States—2010. http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCID_All_Deaths_By_Age_Group_2010-a.pdf. Accessed 23 Nov 2014.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2014). Ten leading causes of injury death by age group highlighting unintentional injury death, United States—2010. http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/10LCID_Unintentional_Deaths_2010-a.pdf. Accessed 23 Nov 2014.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the 15 leading causes of death in 5-year age groups, by race and sex: United States, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality/lcwk1.htm. Accessed 23 Nov 2014.
Bandura, A. (2004). Health promotion by social cognitive means. Health Education and Behavior, 31(2), 143–164.
Villiani, S. (2001). Impact of media on children and adolescents: A 10-year review of the research. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(4), 392–401.
Daven, J., O’Conner, J. F., & Brigs, R. (1976). The consequences of imitative behavior in children: The “Evel Knievel Syndrome”. Pediatrics, 57(3), 418–419.
Rideout, V., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year olds. Menlo Park: Kaiser Family Foundation.
Pelletier, A. R., Quinlan, K. P., Sacks, J. J., VanGilder, T. J., Gilchrist, J., & Ahluwalia, H. K. (2000). Injury prevention practices as depicted in G-rated and PG-rated movies. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 154(3), 283–286.
Ramsey, L. T., Ballesteros, M. F., Pelletier, A. R., & Wolf, J. (2005). Injury prevention practices as depicted in G and PG rated movies: The sequel. Injury Prevention, 11(6), 353–356.
Tongren, J. E., Sites, A., Zwicker, K., & Pelletier, A. R. (2010). Injury-prevention practices as depicted in G- and PG-rated movies, 2003–2007. Pediatrics, 125(2), 290–294.
Box Office Mojo. (2014). Yearly box office domestic grosses (2008–2012). http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/. Accessed 23 November 2014.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. (2011). Child passenger safety. Pediatrics, 127, 788–793.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2001). Motor-vehicle occupant injury: Strategies for increasing use of child safety seats, increasing use of safety belts, and reducing alcohol-impaired driving: A report on recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. MMWR Recommendations and Reports, 40(RR-7), 1–13.
Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. (1994). A guide to safety counseling in office practice. Elk Grove: American Academy of Pediatrics.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. (2001). Bicycle helmets. Pediatrics, 108, 1030–1032.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. (2010). Prevention of drowning. Pediatrics, 126, 178–185.
Guide to Community Prevention Services. (2013). Use of motorcycle helmets: Universal helmet laws. www.thecommunityguide.org/mvoi/motorcyclehelmets/helmetlaws.html. Accessed 23 November 2014.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness. (1992). Horseback riding and head injuries. Pediatrics, 89, 512.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. (2002). Skateboard and scooter injuries. Pediatrics, 109, 542–543.
American Academyof Pediatrics, Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention and Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness. (1998). In-line skating injuries in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 101, 720–722.
Jacobsen, H., Kreuter, M. W., Luke, D., & Caburnay, C. A. (2001). Seat belt use in top-grossing movies vs actual US rates, 1978–1998. American Journal of Public Health, 91(9), 1395–1396.
Pickrell, T. M., & Ye, T. J. (2012). Seat belt use in 2012—Overall results. Report No. DOT HS 811 691. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Royal, D., & Miller-Steiger, D. (2008). Volume I summary report: National survey of bicyclist and pedestrian attitudes and behavior. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Pickrell, T. M., & Ye, T. J. (2013). Motorcycle helmet use in 2012—Overall results. Report No. DOT HS 811 759. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Mangione, T. W., Imre, M., Chow, W., Lisinski, H. E., Ryder, A., & Heitz, E. (2013). 2012 life jacket wear rate observation study. Boston: JSI Research and Training Institute Inc.
Glik, D., Kinsler, J., Todd, W. A., et al. (2005). Unintentional injury depictions in popular children’s television programs. Injury Prevention, 11, 237–241.
Winston, F. K., Woolf, K. D., Jordan, A., & Bhatia, E. (2000). Actions without consequences: Injury-related messages in children’s programs. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 154, 366–369.
McGwin, G., Modjarrad, K., Reiland, A., Tanner, S., & Rue, L. W. (2006). Prevalence of transportation safety measures portrayed in primetime US television programs and commercials. Injury Prevention, 12, 400–403.
Cowan, J. A., Dubosh, N., & Hadley, C. (2009). Seatbelt and helmet depiction on the big screen: Blockbuster injury prevention messages? Journal of Trauma, 66(3), 912–917.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media. (2013). Children, adolescents, and the media. Pediatrics, 132, 958–961.
Gardner, H. G. (2007). Office-based counseling for unintentional injury prevention. Pediatrics, 119, 202–206.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The study protocol was approved by CDC; the manuscript describing the results of the study was cleared by CDC. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pelletier, A.R., Tongren, J.E. & Gilchrist, J. Injury Prevention Practices as Depicted in G- and PG-Rated Movies, 2008–2012. J Community Health 40, 613–618 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9974-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9974-z