Brain Injury Prevention Project, Fond du Lac Reservation
Holly Kostrzewski
Injury Prevention [email protected]
Fond du Lac Reservation• Northeastern MN 20 miles
west of Duluth, MN.
• One of six Reservations inhabited by members of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
• 1,800 tribal members within reservation boundaries
• 2,100 tribal members living in Duluth
Background
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a major cause of disability among Native Americans.
• The leading causes of hospitalizations for TBI are motor vehicle crashes (24%), assaults (17%), and falls (16%).
• Rates of TBI among males are 2.5 times greater than females.
Goal
• Produce a brain injury prevention educational campaign for the Fond du Lac Community based on input from health care providers and community residents.
What is a Brain Injury?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Trauma to the brain
Loss of function
Injury to brain/spinal cord
Concussion
Accident
Stroke
Huffing/Substance Abuse
Perception of Community Prevalence
Are people with brain injury on FDL reservation?
Don’t Know
No
Yes
Yes--MVC
Yessubstance
abuse
Perception of Community Prevalence
Are there any people withbrain injury Ojibwe School?
Don’t KnowNoNo answer
Yes
Possibly
Perception of CausesHow do people get brain injuries?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
No seatbelts/car seat
no helmet
MVC
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Violence
Sports injuries
Hit on the head
Substance Abuse
Perception of Causes
What are the major causes of Traumatic Brain Injury?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No seatbelts
No helmets
MVC
Substance Abuse
FAS
DV
Stroke
Accident
Preference in Obtaining Information
What do they like to read?
Don’t like to read
Magazine
FDL newspaper
Verbal Communication
Preference in Obtaining Information
What the best way prefer to get educational information?
DirectMail/Magazine/
Newspaper Articles
TV/Radio
Presentations/Inservices
Perception of Risk Who is at highest risk for brain injury?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Teens
Children
Unborn/infants
Everyone
Males
Drivers
Elders
Results
• 8 individual brochures– Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: reoccurring
subject for community (misconception)– Lack of interest in reading
• 2 PowerPoint presentations– Community– Professional
• Pilot test - changes made