Seminar tackles falls – a major global public health problem

The school’s Sport and Leisure Cultures research group hosted a seminar over the weekend delivered by visiting researchers from the University of Seville, Spain. The event was attended by staff and students as well as guests from other universities and sports federations from 13 different countries.

On the first day, the seminar outlined the public health problem of falls among children, which account for on average 14 deaths among school-age children every day across Europe, as well as many thousands of injuries and hospital visits. Discussions included how, according to the World Health Organization, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, and therefore robust educational programs are urgently needed to help prevent them.

There were also demonstrations of practical exercises developed as part of the ‘Safe Falls – School Schools’ program. The exercises can be worked into primary school PE lessons to help teach children safe falling techniques from an early age, as part of a ‘fundamental movement skills’ approach. The exercises included a series of fun games and activities designed to keep children engaged with learning, and demonstrated the importance of maintaining enjoyment and safety throughout.

On the second day of the seminar, the presenters outlined the scientific research used to evaluate their program and discussed some of the evidence that shows its effectiveness. Attendees were taught how to conduct scientific evaluations of children’s falling skills and ability, helping staff and students at the University of Brighton to develop their own understanding of this important work.

Dr Alex Channon, Principal Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Studies said: “We are really privileged to have hosted this fantastic event at the School of Sport and Health Sciences. Safe falling is a very important skill and I’m excited to find ways of working these crucial lessons into our Physical Education curriculum.”

Dr James Wallis, Principal Lecturer in Sport Coaching said: “One of the most important features of this work is the simplicity with which it could be applied into school contexts with rudimentary space and equipment. The resources are easily accessible and can be built around pretty much any existing primary PE curriculum.

“It could be a big step in the right direction of undoing the whole outdated concept of ‘PE as sport techniques’.”

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