Developing injury indicators for Canadian children and youth: a modified-Delphi approach

To develop a set of national injury indicators for Canadian children and youth which will eventually be used to reflect and monitor identified prevention priorities.

The Canadian Injury Indicators Development Team brought together injury researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to develop injury indicators in the following areas: overall health services implications; motor vehicle occupant; sports, recreation, and leisure; violence; and trauma care, quality, and outcomes. A modified-Delphi process was used to establish a set of indicators that met evidence-based criteria, were useful, and that would prompt action. Each indicator was rated by 132 respondent injury experts and stakeholders on its usefulness and ability to prompt action to reduce injury among Canadian children and youth.

From an initial list of 51 indicators, a refined set of 34 indicators was established. Indicators were grouped into three categories related to: policies; risk and protective factors; and outcomes. Indicators related to motor vehicle injury were rated as most useful and most able to prompt action. Injury mortality rate and injury hospitalisation rate were also rated highly for both usefulness and ability to prompt action. Policy, violence, sport and recreation, and trauma indicators were all rated higher for usefulness, but somewhat lower for ability to prompt action.

Results suggest that a broad-based modified-Delphi process is an important first step in developing useful and relevant indicators for injury prevention activity focused on Canadian children and youth.