TY - JOUR PY - 1999// TI - Reducing firearm injuries: The role of local public health departments JO - Public health reports (1974) A1 - Price, J. H. A1 - Oden, L. SP - 533 EP - 539 VL - 114 IS - 6 N2 - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to gather data regarding local public health departments' involvement in activities to prevent firearm-related morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to local public health departments serving cities with populations > or =60,000 to assess their perceptions of the magnitude of the firearm injury problem in their jurisdictions and the activities in which they were engaged to reduce firearm-related injuries. RESULTS: Almost half (49.7%) of respondents said that their departments had not seriously thought about being involved in activities to reduce firearm-related injuries, and fewer than one in five (17.8%) reported that their departments were involved in such activities. Respondents identified three barriers to involvement in activities to reduce firearm injuries: limited financial resources (62.7% of respondents), lack of expertise (50.8%), and not enough time (47%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the extent of firearm injuries in the US, systematic collection of local data on firearm morbidity and mortality to help guide policy development is lacking.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0033-3549 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -