- Author
- Stevens, J. A. | Thomas, T. A.
- Title
- Major Causes of Unintentional Injuries Among Older Persons: An Annotated Bibliography.
- Coporate
- National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, GA
- Keywords
- elderly persons | injurids | epidemiology | motor vehicle accidents | burns (injuries) | poisons | case histories
- Identifiers
- extent of unintentional injuries; pedestrian injuries; falls and related injuries; drownings
- Abstract
- In 1988, people over 65 years of age constituted 12.4% of the population. By the year 2000, this percentage will increase to 13% and by 2030, to 22%. The most rapid population increase over the next decade will be among persons over 85 years of age. Unintentional injuries are the seventh leading cause of death among older adults in the United States. In 1991, more than 10,000 people over the age of 65 died of unintentional injuries. The major causes of injury deaths among older people are motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, fires and burns, and poisonings. These high mortality rates are related to a combination of factors, including older people's decreasing ability to perceive and avoid hazards such as moving automobiles; musculoskeletal, percptual, and balance difficulties that increase the likelihood of falls; greater likelihood that an incident will produce an injury; and poorer outcome following an injury. Injury prevention is an important public health issue. In establishing the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) in June 1992, CDC recognized that injuries were predictable and not accidents. As the lead federal agency for injury prevention, NCJPC works closely with public and private organizations to conduct and evaluate research on the causes of, risks for, and methods of preventing injuries outside the workplace. NCIPC's Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention conducts research on unintentional injuries, including injuries from motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires and burns, drownings, and poisonings. The public health community now recognizes that injuries and the events associated with them are not the result of chance, nor are they an inevitable consequence of the aging process. Injuries among all age groups, including older adults, can be prevented.