Injury prevention tips for healthy active living at home, school and in the community.

304 The health benefits of life-long physical activity have been well documented and are summarized in the “Healthy Active Living” position statement (pages 339-345) in this issue of Paediatrics & Child Health. Paediatricians can assist parents, schools and communities in encouraging healthy lifestyles for children and youth, and can promote safe participation in sports or individual fitness activities. Reducing the risk of injuries involves the consideration of factors related to the participant, activity, equipment and environment. Factors related to the participant include age, skill, development, risk-taking behaviours, fatigue and intoxication due to drugs or alcohol. Those related to the activity include technical difficulty, rules, speed, body contact and use of motorized and nonmotorized vehicles. Equipment factors include the fit and maintenance of equipment, including protective equipment. Environmental factors include playing surfaces, surroundings, weather and supervision. The following tips can be used to counsel parents in the office about safe and healthy lifestyles, to advise schools and communities about safe physical activity, and to advocate for policies and environments that facilitate safe active living for children and youth.