What works in preventing unintentional injuries in children and young adolescents? An updated systematic review

This is a systematic review of evidence which addresses the question: ‘How effective are health promotion interventions in preventing unintentional injuries in childhood and young adolescence?’ It examines the role of education, environmental modification and legislation and combinations of these approaches in injury prevention. The review includes studies published between 1975 and 2000 and revises and updates two earlier reviews. In total, 155 studies are examined for their research effectiveness and assessed for the quality of their evidence. The results are presented in tables according to type of intervention, with accompanying discussion and summary. The implications of the review for practitioners, researchers and policy makers are discussed. A range of interventions are identified that have been shown to reduce injury or to change behaviour. The review concludes that a concerted attempt to implement established, effective interventions at local, national and international levels is essential to reduce the enormous burden of childhood injury. Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/whoweare/aboutthehda/hdapublications/what_works_in_preventing_unintentional_injuries_in_children_and_young_adolescents.jsp