Injury prevention are efforts to prevent or reduce the severity of
bodily injuries caused by external mechanisms, such as
accidents, before they occur. Injury prevention is a component of
safety and
public health, and its goal is to improve the health of the population by preventing
injuries and hence improving
quality of life. Among
laypersons, the term "accidental injury" is often used. However, "accidental" implies the causes of injuries are
random in nature.. Researchers use the term "unintentional injury" to refer to injuries that are
nonvolitional but preventable. Within the field of public health, efforts are also made to prevent or reduce "intentional injury." Data from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control, for example, show unintentional injuries are the leading cause of
death from early childhood until middle adulthood. During these years, unintentional injuries account for more deaths than the next nine leading
causes of death combined.