Examining potential risk factors, pathways and processes associated with childhood injury in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Tamara Blakemore
Department of Family and Community Services
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In Australia, injury including poisoning is reported as the most common cause of death from early childhood through to middle age (AIHW, 2002). Apart from its potentially fatal consequences, childhood injury can also affect children’s development via its association with disability, impairment and illness.

Considerable debate exists around understandings of injury causation and the division between intentional and unintentional injury. This hampers the efforts of policy makers and practitioners to prevent injury. It is argued that the risk factors associated with physical injuries of either kind are similar, existing across multiple domains of human experience and their effect influenced by their interaction with each other.

This paper builds upon the findings of preliminary work using data from first wave of Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and presents the results of work exploring potential risk factors, pathways and processes implicated in injury occurrence. The paper uses an integrated, multi-dimensional conceptual framework to guide investigation, conceptualising childhood injury as the result of exchanges and interactions between the child and their family and community. Understanding the function of risk factors associated with childhood injury will aid in efforts to mitigate the risk associated with such life events and is imperative for the formation of effective injury prevention policy and practice parameters.

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