• Sports & recreation
• Injury prevention and rehabilitation
• Childhood injuries prevention
• Epidemiology

Injury prevention, of both unintentional (falls, motor vehicle crashes, sport & recreation, etc.) and intentional injuries (e.g. suicide, violence, etc.) remains little studied within the research milieu. However, its presence and knowledge has been growing and its identification as a major health problem in Canada is increasingly being recognized. 

Neurotrauma injuries in soccer: are headguards the solution?
With an estimated 120 million participants worldwide and 15 million in Canada and the United States , soccer has been coined the world’s "most popular" sport. Although perceived to be uncommon, soccer-related neurotrauma injuries, ranging from acute concussion to the cumulative effects of minor head and neck trauma, do occur, and in recent years there has been increased research pertaining to these injuries.

There is resistance in the soccer community to developing and testing protective headgear to absorb the neurotrauma that may occur to the brain and spinal cord. Research exists with respect to concussions in soccer, but the use of protective equipment to mitigate head and neck trauma has been minimal. To date, all research examining similar headgear use has been conducted in rugby and boxing. Do headguards dissipate forces that children and youth may sustain to the head while playing soccer, and do they prevent damage to the brain from repetitive blows incurred over many seasons? This study’s objective will be to conduct a prospective randomized control study to determine if there is a beneficial effect of wearing headguards in the sport of soccer. The findings will add to the understanding of the role of protective equipment in preventing neurotrauma-associated soccer injuries and allow for recommendations on preventative measures and best practices in the sport of soccer.

Bicyclists' injuries and the cycling environment
Currently there is a strong debate over what types of cycling infrastructure are safest for cyclists. Canada and the US have fewer cyclists and a higher rate of cycling injuries generally as a result of sharing the roads with vehicles; often between lanes of moving and parked cars. In contrast, northern Europe, has are more riders and a lower rate of injuries overall, as cyclists are often physically separated from motor vehicles. This lends to the belief that there would seem to be a clear relationship between the separation of cyclists from vehicles and a lower rate of injuries.

Previous studies have been done that look at the frequency of crashes on different types of routes, such as roads, shared paths, and sidewalks. The BICE study will be the first to take into account many infrastructure features and other factors in addition to the type of route, adding evidence to the debate over what type of infrastructure makes cycling safer.

The study will examine the association between bicyclists' injuries and the cycling environment (primarily the types of route, including integration or separation of the cyclist from motorized or pedestrian traffic; types of intersection; and presence of car parking and junctions) and will take place in Toronto and Vancouver. The participants will be adults who were injured while bicycling and who attend hospital emergency departments for treatment.

The results of this study will provide sound evidence for transportation planners, allowing them to select cycling infrastructure that will improve the safety of cycling in Canadian cities. This should not only reduce the risk of traumatic injuries to cyclists, but, as a result, promote cycling as an urban transportation option, with attendant personal and public health benefits.

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Desapriya, E., Babul, S. & Pike, I. (2006). Barriers to Exercise. CMAJ; 175:7.

Desapriya, E., Pike, I. & Babul, S. (2006). Public attitudes epidemiology and consequences of drinking and driving in British Columbia. Journal of International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences; 30(1):101-10.

Desapriya, E., Pike, I. & Babul, S. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity. CMAJ; 175(7):776.

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