Injury Prevention Facts

Injury Statistics are alarming:

• Injury is the leading killer of persons 1-44 years of age.

• It is estimated that 90% of these injuries could have been prevented.

• More than 40% of brain injuries happen to people who are under the age of 25

• 15% of  Canadian injury admissions (1997-98) occurred in seniors between the ages of 75 and 84

• Injury has been called "the most under-recognized major public health problem." 

• 75 of the 77 work related deaths in Canada in 1998/99 occurred among males

How is Canada doing?

• 18th Place: Canada ranked a poor 18th out of 26 according to the UNICEF First League Table of Deaths by Injury 

• $ 8,700,000,000: Health Canada has estimated that unintentional injury costs Canadians about $8.7 billion per year. (Health Canada, 1997)

Did you know  that we think of injuries as unintentional and intentional?

Unintentional Injury: These injuries are involuntary incidents caused by motor vehicle collisions, falls, burns, drowning, cycling, etc.

Intentional Injury: These injury where the cause is aimed at intentionally harming the person, such as suicide, homicide, and assault.

Unintentional Injury accounts for 70% of injury related deaths among Canadian children and youth 

• Each year 20-25% of children sustain sufficient injuries to require medical attention, miss school, or require bed-rest

• Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children aged 1-21

• For every childhood death caused by injury, there are 34 hospitalizations and 1000 emergency department visits

• Youths between 15 to 24 years have the second highest occurrence of injury among all age groups

Seniors are at risk.

• The age groups with the highest risk of injury are seniors, with over 30 000 injury admissions in Canada in 1997/98

• Falls account for 74.6% of all unintentional injuries in persons aged 71 years or older

• 30% of community dwelling Canadians over 65 will experience at least one fall each year

• twice as many older women will be admitted to hospital for falls than men of the same age (65 or older)

Risk for children is usually influenced by the following factors:

• Boys are more likely to be hospitalized for injuries

• Boys are 70% more likely to die than girls

• The developmental level of the child (physical, mental, emotional)

• Access to and proper use of protective equipment (i.e. bicycle helmets, safe playground surfaces and smoke detectors)

• Some possible social factors include socio-economic status, family composition, family size, housing conditions, and parental substance abuse

Top 5 causes of Unintentional Injury Resulting in Hospitalization of Children in Canada:

1. Unintentional falls (47%)

2. Motor vehicle collisions (10%)

3. Struck by objects, persons, or flying objects (9%)

4. Cycling (8%)

5. Natural and environmental factors (3%)

The above percentages refer to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) National Trauma Registry Hospital Injury Admissions Report, and are for children under the age of 15 years (CIHI).

Top 5 causes of Unintentional Injury Related deaths of Children in Ontario:

1. Motor vehicle collisions (36%)

2. Drowning and Suffocation (22%)

3. Fire and flames (7%)

4. Cycling (5%)

5. Unintentional falls (3%)

The above percentages refer to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Ontario Trauma Registry Injury Deaths Report and are for children under the age of 15 years.