Injuries include
unintentional injuries (such as those
caused by motor vehicle crashes and
fires) and intentional injuries
(violence and suicide).
-
An injury is defined as
"unintentional or intentional damage
to the body resulting from acute
exposure to thermal, mechanical,
electrical, or chemical energy or from
the absence of such essentials as heat
or oxygen."1
-
Injuries are not
accidents. They can be prevented by
changing the environment, individual
behavior, products, social norms,
legislation, and governmental and
institutional policy.
-
Injuries are the
leading cause of death and disability
for people aged 1 to 34 years in the
United States.2
-
Injuries requiring
medical attention, or resulting in
restricted activity, affect more than
20 million children and adolescents
(250 per 1,000 persons) and cost $17
billion annually for medical
treatment.3
-
Violence is the
"threatened or actual use of physical
force or power against another person,
against oneself, or against a group or
community, that either results in or
has a high likelihood of resulting in
injury, death, or deprivation."4
This
information is from the CDC Healthy
Youth! Adolescent Health Website.
References
1. U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. 2 vols.
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office, 2000.
2. Minino
AM, Anderson RN, Fingerhut LA,
Boudreault MA, Warner M. Deaths:
Injuries, 2002. National Vital
Statistics Reports; 54(10): 1-125.
3. Danseco
ER, Miller TR, Spicer RS. Incidence and
costs of 1987–1994 childhood injuries:
demographic break downs. Pediatrics
2000;105(2).
4. Foege
WH, Rosenberg ML, Mercy JA. Public
health and violence prevention.
Current Issues in Public Health
1995;1:2–9.
