Injury in West Virginia: a statewide survey

To determine an estimate of the period prevalence of medically attended injury in West Virginia via a statewide random telephone survey.

A statewide random telephone survey, the West Virginia Social Indicator Survey (WVSIS), was modified to incorporate questions regarding the incidence and mechanisms of injury. The WVSIS is periodically conducted on a representative cross-section of West Virginians to gather information about their social and economic conditions as well as to monitor change in the quality of their lives over time.

Of the 1,498 households interviewed, 412 (28%) reported having sustained injuries for which medical care had been obtained. This translates to a conservative estimate of 231,000 medically attended injuries within West Virginia in 1993. The average age of those injured was 35 years. Falls were the most frequently reported causes of injury, with motor vehicle crashes being the second most reported cause. Most injury victims (70%) were treated in an ED. Most respondents (67%) were able to suggest ways in which the injuries might have been avoided. Only 37% of the respondents with children < 13 years of age reported ever having received injury prevention information from a physician. The most commonly reported physician advice concerned childhood poisoning (34%).

Injury questions added to ongoing state health surveillance surveys provide valuable insight into population-based injury rates and potential preventive measures.