PREVENTING INJURIES UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES

Before 1970, psychologist referred to unintentioanl injuries as “accidents”

During the 1970s and 1980s, physician Willian Haddon, Jr. Change the views Unintentional injuries resulting from a complex

conditios, including individual behaviors, dangerous environmental conditions and lack of tough legislation and enforcement.

UNINTENTIONAL INJURIES

4th leading cause of death in USA 4%(NCHS 2000)

15 to 24 years of age 40% (USBC,2001) 5 to 14 years Safest 0.01 % Gender: men(2)>women(1)

Primary cause of death (almost half) from unintentional injuries:-Motor Vehicle Crashes

Decline in total rate of death from unintentional injuries

Decline in deaths from motor vehicle crashes from1965 to 1998

Reasons of decline: Increase number of drivers Increase number of miles driven Use of seatbelts and airbags Better builth cars Safer roads Stiffer penalties for driving while intoxicated

CHILDHOOD The pattern of death and injury varies with

different developmental stages. CHILDHOOD

Leading cause of death among children under the age 15 40%

Caused by unsafe act of adults or unsafe environment

Cause of death from unintentional injuries:1. Motor Vehicle Crashes

1 to 4 years of age: 1/3 5 to 14 years of age: ½ Failure to properly restrain an infant in the back-

seat of a car Because of airbags of front-seat

2. Drawning Swimming pool : most common for older children Bathtubs : children under age 5 Large buckets: children under age 5.

3. Burns House fires Boys> Girls

4. Falls, suffocation,poisoning, and bicycle mishaps

YOUTH

Greatly increased risk of death from unintentional injuries especially otomobile crashes

The cause of this increase from childhood to adoloscence and young adulthood Beginning to drive

Crashes occur especially during the nighttime hours and weekends

Teenagers least likely to use seatbelts

The behaviors that lead to unintentional injuries Not using seatbelts Not using bicycle and motorcycle helmet Driving after drinking Riding with a driver who has been drinking

Unsafe Behavior Female students >Male students (using seatbelts) Female students>Male students (drive after drinking) African American>European American(wear helmet) African A.>European A.(riding with a driver who were

drinking)