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Affiliation
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Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. |
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Abstract
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Firearms are the second leading cause of death among U.S. adolescents and contribute to substantial medical and societal costs [1
,2
]. Increases in both firearm homicide and suicide rates have resulted in a 28% relative increase in the rate of firearm deaths among children and adolescents between 2013 and 2016 [1
]. Often misconceived of as “an urban problem,” firearm-related mortality impacts communities across the U.S. Firearm-related mortality rates are similar in rural settings (3.84 per 100,000) and urban settings (4.05 per 100,000), with a higher burden of firearm suicide in rural counties and a higher burden of firearm homicide in urban counties.
Firearm carrying among adolescents plays a large role in firearm-related morbidity and mortality. Studies demonstrate links between firearm carrying (especially handgun carrying), violence exposure and involvement, and multiple adolescent health risk behaviors. A recent scoping review synthesized the science on adolescent firearm carrying and highlighted patterns of intermittent carrying, firearm carrying for protection, and co-occurring risk behaviors including substance use and violence involvement. Importantly, the vast majority of research on adolescent firearm carrying has been conducted in urban settings, often relying on cross-sectional data, and very little is known about firearm carrying in rural contexts ...
Language: en |