Special section: Preventing harm from injuries, violence a public health priority

Injuries and violence are major public health issues in the United States, leading to 214,000 deaths annually. Millions of people are also injured each year and survive, sometimes with long-lasting effects. Learn how you can use tools from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and beyond to prevent injuries and violence in our special section in the July 2017 issue of The Nation's Health.

Editor's note: This section was recognized with national awards in 2018 from the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors and Apex Awards for Publication Excellence.

 

Read and share articles on injury and violence prevention

States see many successes in reducing motor vehicle deaths: Nationwide movement for safety needed It is a tale as old as cars themselves: For as long as people have been driving, there have been motor vehicle injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prioritized traffic safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and offers data and tools, including seven Vital Signs reports on the topic

Technical packages from CDC share best practices for violence prevention Violence has an effect on communities, reducing productivity, disrupting social services and even decreasing property values, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But violence can also cause long-term suffering for its survivors, leaving both physical and emotional damage.

CDC reporting system helps prevent violent deaths: Data help communities build programs Humans cannot avoid death altogether, but data experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and across the country are helping communities find ways to prevent some lives from ending too soon.

Prevention driving health response to opioid epidemic: CDC prescribing guide shifting approach  Confronting an opioid overdose epidemic that kills nearly 100 Americans every day takes a combination of interventions across sectors. But a common thread throughout is viewing the problem not as an epidemic of abuse, but as an epidemic of addiction.

Putting science into action to prevent injuries and violence: Q&A with CDC’s Debra Houry The Nation’s Health spoke with Debra Houry, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, about the ways the center is working to protect Americans from injuries and violence and how health workers can play a role.

Preventing senior falls requires community approach: CDC resources help health workers create programs that work  In 2014, about 27,000 older Americans died as the result of a fall. The number means falling — which makes up $31 billion in U.S. medical costs every year — is the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among Americans 65 and older. And that number is expected to grow.

Preventing traumatic brain injuries: Kids, seniors most at risk for harm For many people, a bump to the head may seem like a minor occurrence. But the fact is traumatic brain injuries caused by bumps, blows, jolts and other trauma to the head are a major cause of death and disability in the United States.

Prevention key for reducing sexual violence on campus: CDC tools aid planning, implementation In the U.S., about 19 percent of women have experienced rape in their lifetimes. Many of those incidents happened on college campuses, where 1 in 5 women say they have experienced either an attempt at sexual violence or an act of sexual assault.

Preventing child abuse through partnerships, programs, policies In 2015, about 683,000 U.S. children were victims of abuse or neglect, with nearly 1,700 children dying as a result. From a public health perspective, preventing such abuse not only protects children in the present, but puts them on a trajectory toward better health and well-being.

Higher injury rates, opportunities for prevention in rural communities Rural Americans face a greater risk of losing their lives to the nation’s top leading causes of death, including unintentional injury. In fact, research finds that unintentional injury fatalities are 50 percent higher in rural communities than in urban ones, due in part to greater risks of traffic crashes and opioid overdoses.

Healthy You: Ouch! How to prevent common injuries Both big and small injuries happen every day. The good news is that they are largely preventable if you have the right measures in place. Here’s what you can do to prevent three of the most common injuries that affect Americans. Download the PDF

Healthy You: Stay ahead of concussions to keep kid playtime fun Sports and other recreational activities are a great way for your child to have fun while getting exercise. But if your child experiences a hit, bump or blow to the head or body, that calls for a time-out. Concussions are no small matter, but you can help your child stay safe. Download the PDF

Get more information: Learn more about preventing injuries and violence. Check out CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.