Brain Injury Prevention Project, Fond du Lac Reservation

Holly Kostrzewski

Injury Prevention Coordinatorhollykostrzewski@fdlrez.com

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.

Methods

• 13 key informant interviews

• 5 focus groups

• Collaborations

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

Recommendations

• Enhance Injury Prevention Program

• Individual Presentations on 8 topics

• Data collection on brain injuries

• Min No Aya Win Magazine

• THINK FIRST chapter