Public health and aging: nonfatal physical assault-related injuries among persons aged >60 years treated in hospital emergency departments--United States, 2001

Abstract

As the U.S. population ages, public health efforts have expanded to ensure the independence, function, and safety of older adults. Such efforts focus on consequences associated with the normal aging process. The incidence and consequences of violent victimization are assumed to be a problem of young populations and not an area of concern among older populations, and little data are available to monitor the incidence or consequences of violence-related injuries among older adults. To characterize serious injuries from physical assaults among older adults, CDC analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicate that approximately 33,000 persons aged > or =60 years in the United States were treated in hospital emergency departments (EDs) for nonfatal assault-related injuries in 2001, with injuries occurring disproportionately among persons aged 60-69 years. NEISS-AIP data can increase the understanding of nonfatal physical assault-related injuries among older adults and guide the development and evaluation of prevention strategies.