Developmental Aspects of Unintentional Injury Prevention Among Youth: Implications for Practice

Unintentional injuries, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among youth in the United States, are burdensome and costly to society. Continued prevention efforts to reduce rates of unintentional injury remain imperative. We emphasized the role of practitioner influence across a linear concept of injury prevention comprising delivery, practice, and application/generalization and within the context of child developmental factors. Specific strategies for injury prevention tailored to the cognitive development stage of the patient are provided. This information may be useful to health care practitioners, who have significant interaction with youth and their families.