Understanding the complexity of injuries and its consequences in the aging population: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging-Injury Team Initiative (CLSA-IT)

Injury occurs when there is damage to the body resulting from the transfer of physical energy (e.g. mechanical, thermal, or electrical) or from the absence of essential energies, such as heat. Injuries are a significant public health problem in Canada. Each year, 13,000 Canadians die and a further 200,000 are admitted to hospitals because of injury, resulting in significant healthcare costs (estimated to be $14.3 billion annually). In this application, we propose an interdisciplinary Injury Team (IT) composed of a consortium of Canadian researchers with the common goal of improving our understanding of the injuries in our aging population. The IT will develop this research initiative within the framework of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a national longitudinal study of adult development and aging that is well positioned to examine injuries in addition to health transitions and patterns of change within an aging population. Nested within this larger CLSA study, the IT will have strategic opportunities to evaluate the interplay between physical, psychological, and social factors that determine the nature and consequences of injuries. A series of research questions will be considered and include evaluation of the following: a) major risk factors (behavioural, attitudinal, physical and mental health) for the most common injuries in aging; b) the physical and psychological consequences of these injuries; and c) the adaptations that are implemented to compensate for the injuries. The CLSA-IT initiative is a unique opportunity to provide a training environment promoting cross-fertilization through collaboration across Canada. The CLSA-IT initiative will create multidisciplinary training opportunities and establish formal mechanisms to further develop highly qualified personnel (especially new investigators) throughout major learning institutions in our country.