Epidemiology of Injury
Injury can be divided into two classes: intentional and unintentional. The following chart provides some examples and gives a breakdown.
class of injury | type of injury | approx % |
intentional/violent | assaults homicide suicide | 5% |
unintentional | falls motor vehicle collisions pedestrian injuries drownings poisonings | 95% |
In Canada the data for 2002-3, published as The 2004 Report of the National Trauma Registry, indicates that motor vehicle collisions (MVC’s) comprise 47% of all injuries. Unintentional falls make up 29%, intentional injury 8% and other causes make up the remainder.[5] Forty-one percent of injuries occurred in individuals less than 35 years of age [1].
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1. CIHI (2005). 2004 Report: Major Injury in Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information.
2. WHO (1999). Injury: A Leading Cause of the Global Burden of Disease. Geneva, World Health Organization.
5. Canadian Institute for Health Information - National Trauma Registry http://www.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=statistics_results_source_ntr_e&cw_topic=National%20Trauma%20Registry%20(NTR) accessed March 20, 2006
