Behavioral Research Toward Prevention of Childhood Injury

Abstract

• At a recent workshop sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Md, injury and child behavior researchers recommended continued expansion of both directed research on control of specific injuries and basic research on mechanisms that underlie many or all injuries. Prevention of injuries that are not amenable to environmental control will require change in human behavior. Important research questions to address this goal include the following: How do identified risk factors influence the occurrence of injuries? How do children learn behaviors that alter the rate of injury? How do child developmental factors contribute to safety and injury? Innovative methods are needed, such as measure of environmental hazards, exposure to risk, and precursors of serious injuries. These approaches expanded by a broadened base of investigators should help reduce childhood mortality and morbidity due to injuries. (AJDC1988;142:612-617)