Injury risks and prevention strategies for pediatric immigrants in Canada with a focus on newcomers: a scoping review

Injuries are a leading cause of death among children, contributing to significant individual and societal burden. Pediatric immigrants, including newcomers, are a rapidly growing group in Canada but remain underrepresented in injury research. This review synthesizes the literature addressing injuries among pediatric immigrants in Canada and examines subpopulations such as refugees (immigrants granted asylum in Canada) and newcomers (immigrants who have been in Canada for less than five years) to identify trends and injury prevention opportunities. A scoping review was conducted following JBI and PRISMA-ScR methodology. Databases were searched for articles published from 2015 to 2025. Studies reporting traumatic injury in samples including pediatric (< 18 years of age) immigrant patients were thematically analyzed. Ten studies were included. Four themes emerged: Lower injury-related acute-care utilization among immigrant children than non-immigrant children, with the lowest rates among newcomers and increasing rates with longer residence in Canada. Neighbourhood deprivation may amplify injury risk, areas with higher newcomer concentrations experienced more child pedestrian/cyclist collisions and had fewer traffic-safety interventions. Distinct injury mechanisms were seen, scald burns and suffocation accounted for greater proportions of injuries among recent versus long-term immigrants, while non-sports-related and severe traumatic brain injuries were more common in newcomer dense neighbourhoods. Heterogeneity among immigrant subgroups was also seen, refugees experienced higher unintentional injury-related hospitalization and mortality than non-refugee immigrants, while Somali immigrant youth experienced higher assault-related injury rates than non-immigrant youth. No included studies described active injury prevention interventions although education was the most frequently recommended prevention strategy. Pediatric immigrants are not a homogenous population; distinct injury patterns exist across residence duration, refugee status, and neighbourhood contexts. Our findings may indicate opportunities for injury prevention efforts targeted to water, burn, and home-safety education, alongside equitable traffic-safety interventions. Equitable prevention requires culturally responsive approaches that address these distinct risks.