Injury Prevention

Injuries are a leading cause of death in Iowa. Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for Iowans ages 1-44 and it is the 4th leading cause of death for all Iowans. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) strives to address the burden of injury on the public health by disseminating information about injury deaths and hospitalizations and promoting programs directed at preventing both intentional and unintentional injuries.

Resources for Prevention

General Injury Content

• University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center

  • UI IPRC Blog that covers various injury topics

• Iowa Health Fact Book (Iowa HHS and the University of Iowa) - can search for injury data

• National Injury Prevention Day Resources from the Injury Free Coalition for Kids

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention & Control

• Prevent Child Injury Toolkit

Falls

• Iowa HHS Data Portal - Falls Data

• Iowa Falls Prevention Coalition - Falls Policy Brief 

• National Safety Council - Slips, trips, and falls on floors 

• University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics - Injury Prevention for Falls

• National Council on Aging

  • General webpage on falls prevention for older adults

  • Falls Prevention Awareness Week promotion toolkit for older adults

• CDC Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) Program

Motor Vehicle Crashes

• University of Iowa infographics for motor vehicle safety

  • Bicycle Safety 

  • Child Passenger Safety Survey 

  • Emergency Vehicles 

  • Motorcycle Safety 

  • Navigating Roundabouts 

• Zero Fatalities Iowa

• Safe Kids Worldwide - Car and Road Safety for Kids

• Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau - Drive Smart Iowa

• Iowa Department of Transportation

  • Iowa Crash Analysis Tool

  • Office of Driver & Identification Services, Motor Vehicle Statistic and Research Studies

  • Open Data Portal

• Iowa State Patrol Crash Reports

• Iowa State University Institute for Transportation

National Resources

• Federal Highway Administration

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

• Governors Highway Safety Association

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting Systemm

Poisoning

• Iowa Poison Control Center

  • Poison Prevention Tips 

  • Social Media Messages 

  • Poison Help Logo.jpg

• Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition

  • Naloxone information

  • Fentanyl information

• Iowa HHS Overdose Prevention - Naloxone Iowa

  • Naloxone someone you love - graphic 

  • Naloxone graphic (black and gold) 

  • Naloxone graphic (black and white) 

• Iowa HHS Data Tracking Portal - Poisoning

The Impact of Injury in Iowa

In 2008, Iowa HHS and the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) partnered to produce the first comprehensive report on injury in Iowa. This report, The Burden of Injury in Iowa (2002-2006), is intended to provide information on the burden of injury in Iowa to assist communities, health practitioners, and state and local policymakers in developing strategies and policies to reduce injuries in the state. A full report and executive summary are available by clicking on the links below. For data specific to an individual county, follow the link to the IPRC webpage.

• Full report  

• Executive summary  

• Overview of the burden of injury in Iowa  

• Specific Indicators

  • Comparison of all injury indicators  

  • Drowning  

  • Falls  

  • Fire  

  • Firearm  

  • Homicide & assault  

  • Motor vehicle  

  • Poisoning  

  • Suicide  

  • Traumatic brain injury  

• County-specific reports: Injury Prevention Research Center

• Data Tables

  • Overview Tables  

  • Tables for Specific Indicators 

Injury Prevention Standards

During 2006-2007, standards for injury prevention activities within public health were developed for state and local partners. The comprehensive report is also intended to assist county public health partners in their efforts to assess and meet these standards.  

Iowa HHS Injury Prevention Programs

Iowa HHS programs listed below address the prevention of injuries. For more information, please go to the related links.

Office of Disability and Violence Prevention

• Abuse Education Review Panel

• Disability & Health Program

• Falls Prevention

• Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team

• Sexual Violence Prevention

• Suicide Prevention

• Traumatic Brain Injury Program

• Violence Against Women-Health Care Response

Bureau of Emergency Medical Services

• EMS for Children

• Unintentional Injury Prevention

• Iowa's Trauma System

Bureau of Family Health

• Healthy Child Care Iowa

• School/adolescent Health

Division of Environmental Health

• Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment

• Lead Poisoning Prevention

• Water Programs - Swimming Pools & Spas

Other Related Links

University of Iowa

• Injury Prevention Research Center

• Iowa Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (FACE) Program

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

• National Center for Injury Prevention & Control

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

• Prevention in Practice https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-prevention-practice/#!/

• Connecting the Dots https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/connecting-the-dots/content/home

• Preventing IPV Across the Lifespan  https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ipv-technicalpackages.pdf

• Preventing ACEs  https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/preventingACES.pdf