Injury and Violence: A Public Health Perspective

Population Bulletin, Vol. 53, No. 4, December 1998

by Ian R.H. Rockett

Introduction

Injuries are a leading cause of death for people worldwide. Automobile crashes, homicides, suicides, and other sources of physical injury kill about 5 million people each year. They harm and disable millions of others and in so doing exact enormous psychological, social, and economic costs. Because injuries often strike down otherwise healthy children and young adults, they are a leading cause of premature death.

There is a growing awareness that injuries are predictable and preventable. Injuries can be predicted because they occur more often in some population groups than others. The injury death toll is highest among very young children, teenagers, young adults, and the elderly. It is higher among males than females, among the poor than the wealthy, and among people in some occupations, such as commercial fishing and construction. People who abuse alcohol and other drugs or have certain health problems are more likely to become injured than those without these problems.

Injuries are preventable. Injury control experts stress that “injuries are not accidents” and they have identified ways to avoid them. Injury prevention in the past several decades has shifted from trying to change individuals' behavior to ensuring that the products people use and the environment in which they live and work are safe. Safety features introduced on the highways, in babies' cribs, on children's playgrounds, and at the workplace have extended thousands of lives.

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