Implications

Factors contributing to injuries among First Nations children include: low rates of seatbelt usage; increased use of alternative modes of motorized transportation such as snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs); the remoteness of many Indigenous communities which means traveling greater distances on poor quality or icy roads, as well as limited access to emergency rescue or medical assistance; increased access to bodies of water for recreation, transportation and food, coupled with lower usage of flotation devices; high rates of smoking, reliance on wood heat, poor housing conditions and lack of smoke detectors; as well as poverty and poor quality/overcrowded housing conditions. Injury prevention in Indigenous communities must take into account the socio-economic realities in which Indigenous people live, in conjunction with an individual’s own personal resources.