Published online October 1, 2004
PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 4 October 2004, pp. e392-e399 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-0693)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Borowsky, I. W.
Right arrow Articles by Ireland, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Borowsky, I. W.
Right arrow Articles by Ireland, M.
Related Collections
Right arrow Office Practice

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

Effects of a Primary Care-Based Intervention on Violent Behavior and Injury in Children

Iris Wagman Borowsky, MD, PhD, Sara Mozayeny, BA, Kristen Stuenkel, MEd and Marjorie Ireland, PhD

From the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Objective. Although many major health care organizations have made recommendations regarding physicians' roles in preventing youth violence, the efficacy of violence prevention strategies in primary care settings remains to be empirically tested.

Methods. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the effects of an office-based intervention on children's violent behaviors and violence-related injuries. Children 7 to 15 years of age who presented at 8 pediatric practices and scored positive on a brief psychosocial screening test (n = 224) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (clinicians saw the screening test results during the visit and a telephone-based parenting education program was made available to clinicians as a referral resource for parents) or a control group (clinicians did not see the screening test results).

Results. Compared with control subjects, at 9 months after study enrollment, children in the intervention group exhibited decreases in aggressive behavior (adjusted mean difference: –1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –2.89 to –0.53), delinquent behavior (adjusted mean difference: –0.71; 95% CI: –1.28 to –0.13), and attention problems (adjusted mean difference: –1.02; 95% CI, –1.77 to –0.26) on the Child Behavior Checklist. Children in the intervention group had lower rates of parent-reported bullying (adjusted odds ratio: 4.43; 95% CI: 1.87-10.52), physical fighting (adjusted odds ratio: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.11-2.87), and fight-related injuries requiring medical care (adjusted odds ratio: 4.70; 95% CI: 1.33-16.59) and of child-reported victimization by bullying (adjusted odds ratio: 3.23; 95% CI: 1.96-5.31).

Conclusions. A primary care-based intervention that includes psychosocial screening and the availability of a parenting education resource can decrease violent behavior and injury among youths.

Key Words: violence • youth • prevention • primary care • psychosocial intervention • parenting education

Abbreviations: PSC, Pediatric Symptom Checklist • CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist • CI, confidence interval

Accepted May 7, 2004.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
S. J. Scholer, C. A. Walkowski, and L. Bickman
Voluntary or Required Viewing of a Violence Prevention Program in Pediatric Primary Care
Clinical Pediatrics, June 1, 2008; 47(5): 461 - 468.
[Abstract] [PDF]