%0 Journal Article
%T Urban-rural shifts in intentional firearm death: different causes, same results
%J American journal of public health
%D 2004
%A Branas, Charles C.
%A Nance, Michael L.
%A Elliott, Michael R.
%A Richmond, T. S.
%A Schwab, C. William
%V 94
%N 10
%P 1750-1755
%X OBJECTIVES: We analyzed urban-rural differences in intentional firearm death. METHODS: We analyzed 584629 deaths from 1989 to 1999 assigned to 3141 US counties, using negative binomial regressions and an 11-category urban-rural variable. RESULTS: The most urban counties had 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.87, 1.20) times the adjusted firearm death rate of the most rural counties. The most rural counties experienced 1.54 (95% CI=1.29, 1.83) times the adjusted firearm suicide rate of the most urban. The most urban counties experienced 1.90 (95% CI=1.50, 2.40) times the adjusted firearm homicide rate of the most rural. Similar opposing trends were not found for nonfirearm suicide or homicide. CONCLUSIONS: Firearm suicide in rural counties is as important a public health problem as firearm homicide in urban counties. Policymakers should become aware that intentional firearm deaths affect all types of communities in the United States.
%G en
%I American Public Health Association
%@ 0090-0036
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.94.10.1750