Unintentional Home Injury Deaths

The home is the second most common location of unintentional fatal injuries in the United States, motor vehicles traveling on the road being the first. More than 18,000 people in the United States die each year from an unintentional injury that occurs in the home (Table 1.1). This yields an average annual death rate of 6.83 deaths per 100,000 persons. The top five causes of unintentional home injury death are falls, poisoning, fires/burns, choking and suffocation, and drowning/submersion (Table 1.1, Figure 1.1). These events account for nearly 90 percent of all unintentional home injury deaths, with falls alone accounting for one-third of the deaths (Table 1.1).

Rates of unintentional home injury death are highest among adults 80 and older, followed by those between 70 and 79, and children less than 1 (Table 1.2). Across all age groups, males have higher rates of unintentional home injury death (Table 1.2, Figure 1.2). Overall, males account for 63 percent of all deaths, while females account for the remaining 37 percent (Table 1.2, Figure 1.3).

Rates of fatal unintentional home injury are highest among older adults and young children. Their stages of physical development make them vulnerable population groups for fatal injury. Children may become injured while engaging in normal exploratory behaviors, lacking the judgment to avoid dangers. Older adults may experience more injuries as a result of balance or limited mobility (e.g., escaping a fire). When injured, older adults are often unable to rehabilitate in the same way fully developed and stronger younger persons can. In addition, these age groups often experience more home injuries, in part because they spend more time in the home environment, compared with other age groups who spend large amounts of time at school and/or work.

The scientific literature does not provide a clear rationale for why males have higher rates of home injury death than females, although hypotheses for the relationship can be made. For example, males may engage in riskier behaviors than females, which may expose them to activities that lead to increased injury severity with a greater probability of resulting in death. For instance, males may be more likely to climb a ladder and fall from greater heights, fight a fire with a fire extinguisher rather than flee, or use saws for home improvement, compared with females. More research to identify why home injury death rates differ by sex could help in the development of behavioral and environmental intervention strategies.