The social gradient in adolescent unintentional injuries demands policy attention

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescence, yet they remain underprioritised within adolescent health and equity agendas. Recent Danish studies reveal substantial socioeconomic inequalities in unintentional injuries. Injury risk and injury-related mortality follow a clear social gradient, with adolescents from less advantaged backgrounds experiencing higher rates of both outcomes. Despite these disparities, evidence on effective and equitable prevention strategies remains limited, and current policy efforts largely focus on road traffic injuries while overlooking other important causes. Furthermore, existing injury surveillance systems inadequately capture adolescent-specific contexts and activities, limiting opportunities for targeted prevention. Unintentional injuries are an important but overlooked source of health inequality in adolescence. Reducing the burden of injury requires greater policy attention, stronger research and surveillance, and a focus on the social determinants that drive injury risk. Addressing these upstream factors may improve both injury outcomes and adolescent health more broadly.