Epidemiology of childhood injuries. I. review of current research and presentation of conceptual framework.

I reviewed the recent literature on childhood injuries using a conceptual framework for injury prevention and loss reduction. The framework applies the epidemiologic factors of host, agent, and environment to the study of the events leading to an injury and the injury itself. The role of energy transfer as the etiologic agent for injury was examined. There is a need for further research involving the characteristics of the host, identification and modification of injury vectors, and changes in both the physical and sociocultural environments.