Exploring the relationship between pedestrian injury susceptibility and cognitive abilities in typically developing children

Unintentional injuries, defined as injuries that are not inflicted on purpose and occur without the intent of harm, have important mental, physical and social consequences for both the injured individual and their family. The vast majority of unintentional injuries occur within the road context with pedestrians being the most affected road users. Moreover, children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, are an especially vulnerable part of the population as they run an increased risk of being involved in unintentional injuries. Two important elements involved in unintentional injuries are cognitive factors and propensity for injury. In the current thesis, only a part of the previously mentioned variables was analysed, collecting data via different questionnaires and cognitive tests. The cognitive measures analysed in the current study were mental rotation abilities, intelligence and working memory. Independent samples t-tests and correlational analyses revealed gender differences between males and females, as well as different associations between cognitive measures and propensity for injury. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.