Aboriginal populations experience high rates of injury mortality. Actual rates are likely to have been higher than the estimates presented here because of underenumeration of Aboriginal deaths. The reasons for the elevated risk of injury among Aborigines are complex. The interaction of socioeconomic disadvantage, alcohol consumption and high risk environments is poorly understood. Injury control measures targeted at one risk factor may provide a starting point for injury reduction but in the longer term more benefits are likely to be derived from a broad range of strategies which come to grip with the system of influences at work. A clearer understanding of the importance of injury to Aboriginal communities and variation in injury rates between different communities is required to form a firm basis for developing injury prevention strategies.
Samenvatting