General injury
Office of Health Promotion and Prevention
Injury and violence affect everyone, regardless of age, race, or economic status. Most injuries and violence are preventable if you just take safety measures and follow common sense. Injuries in Utah resulted in 2,391 deaths and 214,247 emergency department visits in 2022. That equates to approximately 587 emergency department visits and 7 deaths per day on average.
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| Acronym | What it stands for | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| ACE | Adverse Childhood Experience | Potentially harmful or traumatic events that happen during childhood, from birth through age 17. |
| ACS | American Community Survey | A survey that provides detailed information about the people, homes, and communities in the United States. This information helps local leaders understand how communities are changing. |
| AFSP | American Foundation of Suicide Prevention | An organization that works to raise awareness about mental health and prevent suicide. |
| AIAN | American Indian Alaska Native | A race category that includes American Indian and Alaska Native people. |
| BAC | Blood Alcohol Concentration | A measure of the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. It can help show how alcohol may affect a person's ability to function. |
| BRFSS | Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System | A national phone survey that collects information about health, health risks, chronic conditions, and use of preventive health services. |
| CALM | Counseling on Access to Lethal Means | A suicide prevention training that teaches people how to reduce a person's access to things that could be used to cause serious harm during a crisis. |
| CBO | Community Based Organization | A nonprofit group that works in a specific community or area to meet local needs and improve people's well-being. |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | The national public health agency that works to protect people's health and safety and prevent disease and injury. |
| CFRC | Child Fatality Review Committee | A group of agencies and organizations that reviews information about child deaths to better understand why children die and how to prevent future deaths. |
| CHIE | Community Health Information Exchange | A secure electronic system that allows doctors, hospitals, and public health agencies to share important health information. |
| CME | Coroners and Medical Examiners | Doctors who investigate deaths and determine the cause and manner of death, especially deaths caused by injury, violence, or unusual circumstances. |
| CMS | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A federal agency that runs major health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. |
| CPS | Child Protective Services | A service that works to protect children from abuse and neglect and help keep children in safe, stable, and caring families. |
| CSHCN | Children with Special Health Care Needs | Children who have a medical, behavioral, or other health condition that lasts, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. |
| CSTE | Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists | A professional group that supports public health workers who study health problems and disease. It provides information, training, and other support. |
| CVR | Crime Victims Reparations program | A program that may help pay for costs after a crime, such as medical care, counseling, and funeral expenses. |
| DC | Death Certificate | An official record that lists the cause, date, and place of a person's death. |
| DPS | Department of Public Safety | Utah's statewide agency for law enforcement and emergency management. |
| DSA | Data Sharing Agreement | A legal agreement that explains how data can be shared, used, accessed, and protected. |
| DTS | Utah Division of Technology Services | The Utah state agency that provides information technology services to state agencies. |
| DV | Domestic Violence | Violence that happens between family members or people who live together. Intimate partner violence is one type of domestic violence. |
| DVFRC | Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee | A group of agencies and organizations that reviews information about domestic violence deaths to understand why they happened and how to prevent future deaths. |
| ED | Emergency Department | A hospital area that provides immediate care for people with serious illnesses or injuries. |
| EMR | Electronic Medical Record | A computer-based record of a person's medical information. |
| EMS | Emergency Medical Services | A system that provides medical care during emergencies, often before a person reaches a hospital. |
| ESSENCE | Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics | A system that collects and analyzes health information to help public health workers quickly identify possible disease outbreaks and other health problems. |
| HRSA | Health Resources and Services Administration | A federal agency that works to improve access to health care for people who live in isolated areas or face economic or medical challenges. |
| HSO | Highway Safety Office | A Utah Department of Public Safety division that works to prevent traffic deaths and serious injuries on Utah roads. |
| IBIS-PH | Public Health Indicator Based Information System | A Utah DHHS data system that provides public access to health information through reports and custom searches. |
| ICD-10 | International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision | A system of codes used to classify diseases and causes of death, including information from death certificates. |
| IPV | Intimate Partner Violence | Abuse or other harmful behavior between people who are current or former romantic or dating partners. |
| JJYS | Utah Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services | A Utah DHHS agency that provides juvenile correction and early intervention services. |
| LAP | Lethality Assessment Program | An assessment used by law enforcement to identify a person's risk of being killed by an intimate partner and connect them with support services. |
| LE | Law Enforcement | Agencies and people who enforce laws and help protect the public. |
| LHD | Local Health District/Department | A local government health agency that serves one or more Utah counties. |
| LMHA | Local Mental Health Authority | A county agency that oversees mental health and substance use services for people who live in the county. |
| MCH | Maternal and Child Health | The health and well-being of women, children, and families, especially during pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood. |
| MCOT | Mobile Crisis Outreach Team | A free, 24/7 mobile team that helps people during a mental health or behavioral crisis. The team may include a therapist and peer support specialist. |
| MHFA | Mental Health First Aid | A training program that teaches people how to recognize and respond to signs of mental health or substance use problems. |
| MVTC or MVC | Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash or Motor Vehicle Crash | A death or injury caused by a crash involving a motor vehicle. |
| NAMI | National Alliance on Mental Illness | An organization that works to improve awareness, support, and advocacy for people affected by mental illness. |
| NCHS | National Center for Health Statistics | The main federal agency that collects and reports health statistics in the United States. It is part of the CDC. |
| NCIPC | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control | The CDC center that tracks and works to prevent injuries and violence in the United States. |
| NCVS | National Crime Victimization Survey | The main national survey that collects information about people's experiences with crime. |
| NOFO | Notices of Funding Opportunities | A public notice from a federal agency that announces plans to provide grants or other funding. |
| NOK | Next-of-kin | A person's closest living relative or legally recognized family member. |
| NSCH | National Survey of Children's Health | A national survey about children's physical and mental health, health care, and the places and people that affect their well-being. |
| NSSP | National Syndromic Surveillance Program | A CDC program that collects health data, such as symptoms and patterns of illness, from state and local health departments. |
| NVSS | National Vital Statistics System | A national system that collects official statistics about births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, and divorces. |
| OD | Overdose | Taking or using more of a drug or substance than is recommended or safe. |
| OD2A | Overdose Data to Action | A CDC-funded program in Utah that works to reduce drug overdoses. |
| OME | Office of the Medical Examiner | The Utah office that investigates sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious, or unattended deaths. |
| OSUMH | Office of Substance Use and Mental Health | The Utah state office that oversees mental health and substance use services. |
| OUD | Opioid Use Disorder | A pattern of opioid use that causes health problems or other harmful effects. |
| OVRS | Office of Vital Records and Statistics | The Utah DHHS office that keeps records of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. |
| PCE | Positive Childhood Experience | Seven positive feelings, experiences, and relationships during childhood that are linked to better health later in life. |
| PD | Police Department | A local government agency that enforces laws, prevents crime, and helps keep the community safe. |
| PI | Principal Investigator | The main researcher responsible for a grant-funded research project. |
| QA | Quality Assurance | A process used to make sure products, services, and systems meet quality standards. |
| QPR | Question, Persuade, Refer | A suicide prevention program that teaches people to recognize warning signs, talk with someone at risk, and connect them with help. |
| RAD | Restricted Access Database | A secure database with detailed information from the National Violent Death Reporting System. Approved users can apply to access it. |
| RHTP | Rural Health Transformation Program | A federal program that helps rural communities improve health care, expand telehealth, and address health care worker shortages. |
| RPE | Rape Prevention Education | A CDC program that funds sexual violence prevention work by state and territorial health departments. |
| SAMHSA | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration | The federal agency that leads public health efforts related to mental health and substance use. |
| SDOH | Social Drivers of Health | Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play, worship, and grow older that can affect their health and well-being. |
| SHARP | Student Health and Risk Prevention | A confidential, voluntary Utah survey given every two years to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. It asks about physical, social, and mental health, substance use, and bullying. |
| SIRS | Student Injury Reporting System | A voluntary Utah school survey that tracks student injuries. The information helps identify risks and develop ways to prevent injuries. |
| SME | Subject Matter Expert | A person with advanced knowledge or experience in a specific subject. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure | Step-by-step instructions for completing a task or process. |
| SCI | Spinal Cord Injury | Damage to the spinal cord, which carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. |
| SPRC | Suicide Prevention Resource Center | An organization that provides training, resources, and support to people who work to prevent suicide. |
| SRPF | Shared Risk and Protective Factor | A factor that can increase or reduce the risk of more than one health problem, such as suicide and overdose. |
| SSP | Syringe Services Program | Community programs that provide sterile syringes, safe syringe disposal, testing, and connections to substance use treatment and other health care. |
| SUD | Substance Use Disorder | A pattern of substance use that causes health problems or other harmful effects. |
| SUDORS | State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System | A system that combines information from sources such as medical examiner reports, death certificates, and law enforcement records to better understand unintentional and undetermined drug overdose deaths. |
| SUID | Sudden Unexpected Infant Death | A sudden and unexpected death of a baby younger than 1 year. It can include sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation, or deaths from unknown causes. |
| SV | Sexual Violence | Any unwanted sexual contact or behavior caused by force, threats, pressure, manipulation, or violence. It can include rape, sexual abuse, and other forms of sexual harm. |
| SyS | Syndromic Surveillance | Using real-time health information, such as emergency department visits, to quickly identify health problems in a community and guide public health action. |
| TA | Technical Assistance | Help that provides knowledge, skills, tools, or services to improve work, reach goals, and make better decisions. |
| TBI | Traumatic Brain Injury | Brain damage caused by an outside force, such as a blow or jolt to the head. |
| TDV | Teen Dating Violence | Abuse between current or former dating partners when at least one person is younger than 20. It can happen in person or through phones, social media, or other technology. |
| TANF | Temporary assistance for needy families | A federally funded program that provides temporary financial help and support services, such as job training and child care, to families with low incomes and children. |
| UCASA | Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault | A nonprofit group that works to prevent sexual violence and provides services such as prevention programs, a sexual assault hotline, and advocacy. |
| UCPC | Utah Coalition for Protecting Childhood | A statewide group that works to create safe, stable, and caring relationships and environments for Utah children. |
| UDOT | Utah Department of Transportation | The state agency responsible for maintaining Utah's state and federal highways. |
| UDVC | Utah Domestic Violence Coalition | A group that works to end domestic violence in Utah through advocacy, education, collaboration, and leadership. |
| UOVC | Utah Office for Victims of Crime | A Utah office that supports crime victims through financial help, advocacy, and funding for victim services. It also provides training and outreach. |
| USBE | Utah State Board of Education | The state agency that oversees public K–12 education in Utah. |
| USPC | Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition | A statewide partnership that supports suicide prevention planning, resources, training, and community leadership. |
| UT-VDRS or NVDRS | Utah Violent Death Reporting System or National Violent Death Reporting System | A system that combines information from sources such as medical examiner reports, death certificates, and law enforcement records to better understand violent deaths in Utah. |
| Utah DHHS | Utah Department of Health and Human Services | The Utah state agency responsible for public health, health care, and human services. |
| Utah VIPP | Utah Violence and Injury Prevention Program | A program within Utah DHHS that works to prevent injuries and violence and reduce the harm they cause. |
| VA | Veterans Administration | An agency that provides education, health care, employment, counseling, and other support to veterans and their families. |
| WISQARS | Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System | An online set of tools for finding and analyzing information about fatal and nonfatal injuries and their costs. |
| YMHFA | Youth Mental Heatlh First Aid | A training course that teaches adults how to recognize and respond to mental health or substance use problems in young people ages 12–18. |
| YPLL | Years of Potential Life Lost | The number of years a person could have lived if they had not died early. It is used to measure the impact of early death. |
| YRBS | Youth Risk Behavior Survey | A survey that measures health-related behaviors and experiences that may affect the health and well-being of young people. |
Injury and violence in Utah
Injuries and violence are a significant public health issue both nationally and in Utah. Learn more about the impact of injury and violence in Utah.
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Social determinants of health
Social determinants of health are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect their quality of life.
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