Increasing lower body strength
Increasing levels of physical activity
Improving balance through regular activities such as Tai Chi
Asking your doctor or pharmacist to review all medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter) to reduce side effects and interactions
Wearing proper fitting, slip-resistance footwear

To make living areas safer, seniors should:

Remove tripping hazards such as throw rugs and clutter in walkways;
Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors;
Have grab bars put in next to the toilet and in the tub or shower;
Have handrails put in on both sides of stairways;
Improve lighting throughout the inside and outside of the home

*Source: CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Motor Vehicular Traffic-Related Injury

The following are factors that increase the risk of traffic-related injury.

Risk Factors

Aggressive driving
Speeding
Inexperienced driving
Drowsy and distracted driving
Alcohol impaired driving
Hazardous road conditions
Not using proper safety restraints / equipment
Dementia and other physical impairments
Visual impairments

Risk factors can be reduced through the following:

Wearing a helmet
Wearing a safety belt (low across the hips and across the center of the chest).
Placing children, birth to 1 years of age (up to 20 lbs), in the back seat of the motor vehicle, in a rear facing infant car seat
Placing children, 1 years of age to 4 years of age (20 lbs to 40 lbs), in the back seat of the motor vehicle, in a forward facing toddler car seat.
Placing children, 40 lbs to 80 lbs, in a booster seat, in the back seat of the motor vehicle.
Placing children under the age of 12 in the back seat of the motor vehicle.
Using a designated driver
Obeying speed limits and road hazard signs

*Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury

The following are factors that increase the risk of self-inflicted injury.

Risk Factors

Previous suicide attempt
Mental disorders--particularly mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder
Co-occurring mental and alcohol and substance abuse disorders
Family history of suicide
Hopelessness
Impulsive and /or aggressive tendencies
Barriers to accessing mental health treatment
Relational, social, work, or financial loss
Physical illness
Easy Access to lethal methods, especially guns
Unwillingness to seek help because of stigma attached to mental and substance abuse disorders and/or suicidal thoughts
Influence of significant people--family members, celebrities, peers who have died by suicide--both through direct personal contact or inappropriate media representations
Cultural and religious beliefs--for instance, the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma
Local epidemics of suicide that have a contagious influence
Isolation, a feeling of being cut off from other people

*Source: Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevention Suicide, 1999

Risk factors can be reduced through the following:

Effective clinical care for mental, physical and substance use disorders
Easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support for helpseeking
Restricted access to highly lethal means of suicide
Strong connections to family and community support
Support through ongoing medical and mental health care relationships
Skills in problem solving, conflict resolution, and nonviolent handling of disputes
Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation

*Source: Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2004

Youth Violence

The following are factors that increase the risk of violence perpetration among youth.

Risk Factors

Individual

Attention deficits/hyperactivity
Antisocial beliefs and attitudes
History of early aggressive behavior
Involvement with drugs, alcohol, or tobacco
Early involvement in general offenses
Low IQ
Poor behavioral control
Social cognitive or information-processing deficits

Family

Authoritarian childrearing attitudes
Exposure to violence and family conflict
Harsh, lax, or inconsistent disciplinary practices
Lack of involvement in the child’s life
Low emotional attachment to parents or caregivers
Low parental education and income
Parental substance abuse and criminality
Poor family functioning
Poor monitoring and supervision of children

Peer/School

Association with delinquent peers
Involvement in gangs
Social rejection by peers
Lack of involvement in conventional activities
Poor academic performance
Low commitment to school and school failure

Neighborhood/Community

Diminished economic opportunity
High concentrations of poor residents
High levels of transiency
High levels of family disruption
Low community participation
Socially disorganized neighborhoods

*Source: CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Protective Factors:

To date, protective factors for youth violence have not been studied with the same scientific rigor as risk factors. However, the Search Institute SM has identified a list of 40 assets, which form the building block of healthy youth development. These developmental assets may prevent violence perpetration. The following is a list of internal and external asset categories.