ENV 14
The 15 leading causes of death in 2019 were
4.Accidents (unintentional injuries). 10.Intentional self-harm (suicide).
Classifying Intent of Injuries
A.Unintentional injuries. B.Intentional injuries. C.Undetermined injuries
Unintentional Injury in US
Poisoning, Falls
Unintentional injuries.
An "injury or poisoning that is not inflicted by deliberate means."
Worldwide Injuries
Cause more than 3.5 million deaths, 6 percent of all deaths, and two-thirds of all injury deaths during a typical year
The Public Health Approach to Injury Prevention
Define the problem Identify risk and protective factors/Alcohol and Airbag Develop and test prevention strategies Assure widespread adoption
Intentional injuries.
Includes those that result from self-harm (e.g., suicide), legal intervention (e.g., action of the police), interpersonal actions (e.g., assault), and acts of war
Worldwide Injuires
Unintentional and Road Traffic Injuries
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10)
a coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO)
International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Injury Matrices
organizes injury data into helpful groupings in order to make international and national comparisons
injury
the physical damage [to the person] that results when a human body is suddenly or briefly subjected to intolerable levels of energy
cause (mechanism) of injury
the way in which the person sustained the injury; how the person was injured; or the process by which the injury occurred.... The underlying cause is what starts the chain of events that leads to an injury
Intent of Injury
whether an injury was caused by an act carried out on purpose by oneself or by another person(s), with the goal of injuring or killing
Injury Epidemiology
•A branch of epidemiology that studies the distribution and determinants of injuries in the population. • Used for prevention and control of injuries. • Used for policy development.
Traffic Fatalities and Crashes among Teen Drivers
•As many as 100 times more teenagers (compared to adults) were treated in hospital emergency rooms for crashes. • Risk factors for crashes among teen drivers are: 1.Inexperience in driving a vehicle. 2.Failure to use seat belts. 3.Driving without adult supervision while other teens are passengers. 4.Drinking and driving. •Reduction of motor vehicle fatalities can be accomplished through increased use of educational programs for teenage drivers and their parents.
Significance of Injuries
•Direct harm to people. • Injuries burden the health care system and rehabilitation facilities. • Impact a person's family members. • Can lead to permanent disability. • May create stress and severe emotional responses. Severe economic cost
Unintentional Injuries in the United States
•Fifth leading cause of mortality in the population as a whole. Leading cause of death for the population aged 1 to 44 years
Mortality experience in 2014
•In 2014, a total of 2,626,418 resident deaths were registered in the United States. • The age-adjusted death rate, which accounts for the aging of the population, was 724.6 deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard population. • Life expectancy at birth was 78.8 years. •Life expectancy for females was 4.8 years higher than for males. •The difference in life expectancy between the sexes has narrowed since 1979, when it was 7.8 years, but it has remained at 4.8 years since 2010.
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV)
•In the 1990s, West Virginia had death rates from ATV crashes that were about eight times higher than the national average. • The state enacted several laws to reduce ATV fatalities. • Nevertheless, between 1999 and 2006, fatal ATV crashes increased by about 14% per year. • Factors related to ATV fatalities were lower socioeconomic status, being single or divorced, and having lower levels of education.
Motor Vehicle Injuries
•In the U.S., motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of unintentional deaths in 2016. •Since the early 2000s, the number of such fatalities has not declined over time. •Motor-vehicle fatalities and injuries vary according to the demographic characteristics of the victims, geographic region, and risk factors associated with crashes. •The data suggest that young male drivers are most likely to be involved in fatal crashes.
Economic impacts of Unintentional Injuries
•Include direct medical costs for treatment and indirect costs such as those due to: • Lost productivity at work and home. • Charges for rehabilitative therapies (for physical and mental health). • Coverage of caregiver expenses. • Personal injury lawsuits and other forms of litigation. Other nonmedical expenses such as purchase of wheelchair ramps
Injuries and Fatalities from Falling
•Leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for persons aged 65 years and older. •Greatest prevalence of falling occurred among American Indian/Alaska natives. •Highest prevalence of injuries among those who fell occurred among Hispanic persons. The prevalence of falling was similar for men and women, although women had a greater percentage of fall-related injuries than men
Prevention of Crashes among Older Drivers
•Maintaining regular exercise regimen. • Reviewing personal use of medications that may impair driving. • Annual vision checks. • Creating a safe environment within the car's interior by eliminating distractions, e.g., turning down the radio and not using a cell phone. • Completing a driver's training course for senior drivers.
Injuries by Type of Energy
•Mechanical force. • Radiant energy from light or shock waves. • Extremes of temperature. • Electrical energy. • Chemical energy.
Older Adult Drivers: Who is Most at Risk?
•Motor vehicle crash deaths per capita among males and females begin to increase markedly starting at ages 70-74. •Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75 and increase notably after age 80. This is largely due to increased susceptibility to injury. •Age-related declines in vision and cognitive functioning (ability to reason and remember), as well as physical changes, may affect some older adults' driving abilities. •Across all age groups, males had substantially higher death rates than females.
Sports- and Recreation-related Traumatic Brain Injuries
•Participation in these activities incurs the risk of traumatic brain injury (TBIs), which can cause long-lasting adverse health effects such as behavioral changes and memory loss.
Child Safety Seats
•Protect infants and young children during a car crash or sudden stop. • Should not be placed in the front seat because of the risk of injury from air bags. • When transporting infants who are younger than one year old and weight less than 20 pounds, the seats should face toward the rear of the vehicle.
Older Adult Drivers Aged 65 Years and Older
•Rate of traffic fatalities shows a declining trend in this group. • 2007: 31 million licensed drivers (almost one-fifth increase in number over the previous decade). • 2007: 15% of all licensed drivers. • 2008: 183,000 older persons injured.
Unintentional Injuries among Children
•The top source of mortality and morbidity among children. • Injuries tend to be an under-recognized public health issue. (Motor vehicle related) • Death rate for unintentional injuries was 15.0 per 100,000 (2000-2005). •Males had higher injury death rates than females. •Injuries due to transportation were the leading cause of death for children. •The leading causes of injury death differed by age group. •Risk for injury death varied by race. •Highest: American Indian and Alaska Natives. •Lowest: Asian or Pacific Islanders. •Whites and African Americans had similar rates.
Unintentional Injury vs. Accident
•The use of the term unintentional injury is preferred to accident; the latter implies a random event that cannot be prevented. • The National Center for Health Statistics has added the term "unintentional injuries" in parentheses next to the category of accidents, the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
