Populations at Risk

Some groups are at more risk to injury that others:

• Injury is the leading cause of death for children and youth in Canada. Falls are the most frequent cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations of children between 0-14 years old.
• Injury kills more young people than all other causes combined, accounting for 70% of all youth deaths. Canadian youth under the age of 25 are involved in over 30% of alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions.
• Ontarians over the age of 65 accounted for 40% of injury-related hospitalizations with falls being by far the leading cause of emergency department visits, hospitalizations and death.
• The rates of unintentional injuries are significantly higher among Aboriginal peoples than other people in Canada. Injury is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal children, youth, and young adults in Canada. Canadian Aboriginals experience the highest suicide rate, and the injury death rate among Aboriginal teens is almost four times that of Canadians overall.
• In Northern Ontario, the rate of deaths, hospitalizations and permanent disability due to injuries is approximately 1 1/2 times higher than the provincial average.