Public beliefs about the preventability of unintentional injury deaths

This report is based upon the results of a national random digit dialed telephone survey in which 943 adults were queried. Subjects reported the proportion of deaths due to motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires/burns, drowning and poisoning that they felt were preventable. On average, respondents believed that 56% of fatal accidents' were preventable; as were 62% of motor vehicle crash deaths, 53% of fall deaths, 67% of drownings, 62% of fire/burn fatalities and 70% of accidental poisonings. Logistic regression models predicting preventability beliefs differed according to the type of injury event in question, but socio-economic status and perceived alcohol involvement were positive predictors of beliefs related to all of the injuries under study. The ramifications of these findings and future research directions are discussed. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.