Community interventions offer a promising option for reducing both intentional and unintentional injuries in children and
adults as a result of their potential to influence and achieve widespread, long-term change in a large number of individuals
from the population(s) at risk. Community interventions can positively influence individuals’ behavior(s) while they facilitate
positive and health-enhancing changes to people’s living environments. They can also have a long-term and sustainable influence
on societal norms that are relevant to safety and related behaviours (Oldenburg & Burton, 2004).
Community-based interventions and public health interventions do not aim to lower the injury or harm risk of single individuals
but aim to reduce the average level of risk in a large group of individuals or population subgroup by delivering interventions
or programs in settings such as schools, workplaces, and other public settings. Typically, such an approach uses a broad array
of strategies that may include educational/behavioural, engineering/technology, and legislation/ enforcement components (Klassen,
MacKay, Moher, Walker, & Jones, 2000; Sleet & Gielen, 2004). Educational/behavioural strategies aim to increase the awareness
of injury risk and the importance of risk-reducing behaviors and include media broadcasts, public service announcements, classroom
instruction, written material, incentives, negative feedback, behavioral change strategies, and modeling (Klassen et al.,
2000). The goal of engineering/technology interventions is to alter the physical environment (such as by placing speed humps
on streets or installing smoke detectors in homes) or modify the design of safety devices (such as bicycle helmets or child
passenger seats). Finally, legislation/enforcement interventions involve the passage and enforcement of new laws or the increased
enforcement of existing laws (Klassen et al., 2000).