Childhood accidents in a rural community: a five-year study.

Childhood accidents were monitored over a five-year period in a rural West Virginia primary care center. A population of 1,410 families with children up to 12 years of age was followed. Lacerations, musculoskeletal injuries, and head injuries were the most common injuries. Accidents were relatively more frequent within families with lower income levels and in single-parent households. The data suggest specific preventive strategies for this rural population.