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Goal
Prevent unintentional injuries and violence, and reduce their consequences.
Overview
Injuries and violence are widespread in society. Both unintentional injuries and those caused by acts of violence are among the top 15 killers for Americans of all ages.1 Many people accept them as “accidents,” “acts of fate,” or as “part of life.” However, most events resulting in injury, disability, or death are predictable and preventable. The Injury and Violence Prevention objectives for 2020 represent a broad range of issues which, if adequately addressed, will improve the health of the Nation.
Why Is Injury and Violence Prevention Important?
Injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44,1 and a leading cause of disability for all ages, regardless of sex, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. More than 180,000 people die from injuries each year, and approximately 1 in 10 sustains a nonfatal injury serious enough to be treated in a hospital emergency department.1
Beyond their immediate health consequences, injuries and violence have a significant impact on the well-being of Americans by contributing to:
Premature death
Disability
Poor mental health
High medical costs
Lost productivity2
The effects of injuries and violence extend beyond the injured person or victim of violence to family members, friends, coworkers, employers, and communities.
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Understanding Injury and Violence Prevention
Numerous determinants (factors) can affect the risk of unintentional injury and violence.
Individual behaviors
The choices people make about individual behaviors, such as alcohol use or risk-taking, can increase injuries.3
Physical environment
The physical environment, both in the home and community, can affect the rate of injuries related to falls, fires and burns, road traffic injuries, drowning, and violence.4, 5
Access to Services
Access to health services, such as systems created for injury-related care, ranging from prehospital and acute care to rehabilitation, can reduce the consequences of injuries, including death and long-term disability.
Social Environment
The social environment has a notable influence on the risk for injury and violence through:
Individual social experiences (for example, social norms, education, victimization history)
Social relationships (for example, parental monitoring and supervision of youth, peer group associations, family interactions)
Community environment (for example, cohesion in schools, neighborhoods, and communities)
Societal-level factors (for example, cultural beliefs, attitudes, incentives and disincentives, laws and regulations)6
Interventions that address these social and physical factors have the potential to prevent unintentional injuries and violence. Efforts to prevent unintentional injury may focus on:
Modifications of the environment
Improvements in product safety
Legislation and enforcement
Education and behavior change
Technology and engineering7
Efforts to prevent violence may focus on:
Changing social norms about the acceptability of violence
Improving problem-solving skills (for example, parenting, conflict resolution, coping)
Changing policies to address the social and economic conditions that often give rise to violence
Emerging Issues in Injury and Violence Prevention
While not included as objectives in Healthy People 2020, there are several emerging issues in injury and violence prevention that need further research, analysis, and monitoring.
For unintentional injuries, there is a need to better understand the trends, causes, and prevention strategies for:
Motor vehicle crashes due to distracted driving
Injuries related to recreational activities
In the area of violence, there is a need to better understand the trends, causes, and prevention strategies related to:
Bullying, dating violence, and sexual violence among youth
Elder maltreatment, particularly with respect to quantifying and understanding the problem
References
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Internet]; 2010 Mar 4 [cited 2010 Apr 1]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars
2 Finkelstein EA, Corso PS, Miller TR. Incidence and economic burden of injuries in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press; 2006.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Injury fact book 2001–2002. Atlanta: CDC; 2001.
4 Runyan CW, Casteel C, Perkis D, et al. Unintentional injuries in the home in the United States, Part I: Mortality. Am J Prev Med. 2005;28(1):73-9.
5 Doll LS, Bonzo SE, Mercy JA, et al., editors. Handbook of injury and violence prevention. New York: Springer; 2007. Chapter 14, Changing the built environment to prevent injury; p. 257-76.
6 Mercy JA, Mack KA, Steenkamp M. Changing the social environment to prevent injuries. Chapter 15 in Handbook of injury and violence prevention (pp 277-94). Doll LS, Bonzo SE, Mercy JA, et al., editors. New York: Springer; 2007.
7 Gielen AC, Sleet DA. Injury prevention and behavior: An evolving field. Chapter 1 in Injury and violence prevention: Behavioral science theories, methods, and applications (pp 1-16). Gielen AC, Sleet DA, DiClemente RJ, editors. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2006.
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