Consumer Product Safety Commission

Child Poverty, Unintentional Injuries and Foodborne Illness: Are Low-Income Children at Greater Risk?

The purpose of this report is to show that existing data and research, however incomplete, strongly suggest that low-income children are at greater risk than other children from unintentional injuries and foodborne illness. These injuries are mainly incurred in the home, in the yard, on playgrounds, on streets, and in motor vehicles. The report will also explore reasons for these higher risks ranging from lack of information to hazardous environments. Finally, the report will discuss ways that federal safety-related databases can incorporate more information about socioeconomic status to allow researchers and practitioners to learn more about the influence of related factors.