Killer of Millions of Men: Accidental Injury

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

January 15, 2023 – It is likely doctors will never ever warn you about this particular risk even though it kills millions of men per year and affects men disproportionately.  In fact you’re more likely to hear about it from your mother or father.

Accidental injury, it’s not strictly speaking a medical condition but it is one of the leading causes of death globally and men are affected far more than women almost twice as much according to the CDC a fact confirmed by the WHO.

In 2020 even with lockdowns men in the US easily doubled the amount of unintended deaths compared to women. A recent US study revealed that accidental death is the leading cause of death in males 1 to 44 years of age.

Causes of unintentional death include drug overdoses, car crashes , falls, drowning, burns, poisoning and acts of violence against oneself or others, among other causes the World Health Organization says.

There’s no surefire reason men are more at risk but gender norms where young men are encouraged to take risks and applauded for partaking in potentially harmful activities may play a part.

Higher levels of substance abuse and hazardous workspace environments like construction, lumberyards etc. are also causes.

Undiagnosed mental health issues like ADHD and autism can also play a part.

Prevention in this case is difficult. Starting young boys off young by treating them as gently or as strictly as girls are treated could result in less of a desire to engage in dangerous activity.

Monitoring young men for symptoms of drug abuse and providing them with the needed help could offset any serious problems in the future that might lead to unintentional injury.  Modeling safe driving and punishing poor road use in young men is also a good way to get them to drive more safely.

Children live what they learn, modeling careful and considerate behavior and avoiding unnecessary risk.  As a parent, through your actions, you can teach your children to avoid risky behavior which has the power and potential to cut short or diminish one’s quality of life.