Injury Prevention

Injury Prevention is a field of public health in which efforts are taken to reduce the likelihood of bodily injury. Unintentional Injuries are commonly considered accidental results of an accident like a car wreck. However, car wrecks and the injuries that result from car wrecks can be reduced by driving according to traffic safety laws and by wearing seat belts. So as our understanding of public safety increases, we realize that accidents and the injuries and deaths that result from them are not so accidental, but they are unintentional.  Unintentional injury mortality rates for Indian people are approximately three times higher than the combined all-U.S. races rate (IHS, Trends in Indian Health 2000-2001).

Why should Indian communities care about Injury Prevention? Injury prevention is important

because unintentional injuries are currently the leading cause of death for American Indian people

between the ages of 1 and 44 years old. The good news is that these injuries and deaths are largely

preventable! Injury prevention efforts are meant to protect our communities, our families and

thus our future as Indian people.  Prevention not only saves lives, but saves health care dollars. 

Collaborations at the local level are vital for the successful implementation of interventions. These

collaborations not only increase the efficiency of the implementation but they also provide for

community buy-in and capacity building. One of the key components to a successful community

injury prevention program is coalitions. Community health representatives (CHR), housing programs,

tribal health departments, police departments, and elder programs are just a few of the local

organizations that actively participate in coalition activities to decrease injuries.

CRIHB’s Injury Prevention Program has been working with communities to decrease injuries in

American Indian Communities throughout California since 2000.  We at the California Rural Indian

Health Board believe in raising injury awareness and creating sustainability for prevention programs

for California Indians.  The ultimate goal of the our program is “reduce the number of deaths

and hospitalizations related to unintentional and intentional injuries within the American Indian

Population of rural communities throughout the state of California.

We would like to see all the clinics we work with develop strong injury programs that are self sufficient and can eventually seek their own funding.  We assist our programs by increasing

linkages and partnerships, providing education and training, providing resources, collecting

injury data and using it to provide information about the injury problem and strengthening our evaluation methods to better serve our communities.

For more information please contact:

Barbara Hart, PHN

(916) 929-9761; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

OR

Karen Santana, Health Education Specialist

(916) 929-9761; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it