ACIP defines injury and injury prevention in a manner that is consistent with the Canadian Injury Prevention Curriculum from the Canadian Collaborating Centres on Injury Prevention (CCCIP) of which ACIP is a member.

The Definition of Injury
An injury is the physical damage that results when a human body is suddenly or briefly subjected to intolerable levels of energy. The time between exposure to the energy and the appearance of an injury is short. The energy may be mechanical, thermal, electrical, or chemical.


Injuries by Intent
Injuries can be classified as intentional or unintentional. Intentional injuries may be self-inflicted or other-inflicted. Self-inflicted intentional injuries include suicide, suicide-attempts, and self-harm. Other-inflicted intentional injuries include all forms of violence. Unintentional injuries include incidents such as unintended falls, motor vehicle collisions, burns, drowning, poisoning, or threats to breathing. Unintentional injuries are not accidents. Like intentional injuries, the majority are predictable and preventable.


Injury Prevention
Ongoing strategies, policies, or programs designed to eliminate or reduce the occurrence and severity of injuries.


The Social Determinants of Injury (SDoI)
The burden of injury is not shared equally amongst the population. Injury rates are tied to a wide range of social and economic factors that include but are not limited to, income, education, gender identity, gender expression, ability, Indigeous status, race, housing status, social environment, and work environment. Injury prevention strategies, policies, and programs must be designed through an intersectional lens to be effective at reducing injuries throughout Atlantic Canada. For more information on the SDoI, visit and explore the Social Determinants of Injury tab on our website. 

For more information about the Canadian Injury Prevention Curriculum, go to www.canadianinjurycurriculum.ca