Testa Alexander, Henson-Garcia Mike, Jackson Dylan B, Fu Karyn, Ganson Kyle T, Nagata Jason M
Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Inj Epidemiol. 2024 Dec 19;11(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s40621-024-00549-7.
Firearm secure storage is an important public health practice due to its potential impact on reducing the incidence of accidental injuries, suicides, and thefts. Yet, there is limited research on how economic conditions might shape firearm storage patterns.
This study explores the relationship between material hardship and firearm secure storage among firearm-owning households. Data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed, including responses from 7,197 firearm-owning adults in California, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Mexico. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between levels of material hardship and storage practices, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Among respondents, 14.3% reported firearms were stored, loaded and unlocked. Compared to respondents experiencing no hardships, those experiencing three or more material hardships incurred a 183% higher risk of storing firearms in an unsecured manner (Relative Risk Ratio = 2.828, 95% CI = 1.286, 6.220).
This study highlights an association between greater material hardship and unsecured firearm storage. These findings emphasize the need for public health interventions that address economic barriers to safe firearm storage, potentially reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths among individuals experiencing material hardship.
枪支安全储存是一项重要的公共卫生措施，因为它可能对降低意外伤害、自杀和盗窃的发生率产生影响。然而，关于经济状况如何影响枪支储存模式的研究有限。
本研究探讨了拥有枪支的家庭中物质困难与枪支安全储存之间的关系。分析了2022年行为风险因素监测系统（BRFSS）的数据，包括加利福尼亚州、明尼苏达州、内华达州和新墨西哥州7197名拥有枪支的成年人的回答。多项逻辑回归模型评估了物质困难程度与储存方式之间的关系，并对人口统计学和社会经济因素进行了调整。
在受访者中，14.3%的人报告枪支处于上膛且未上锁的存放状态。与没有困难的受访者相比，经历三种或更多物质困难的受访者以不安全方式储存枪支的风险高出183%（相对风险比=2.828，95%置信区间=1.286，6.220）。
本研究强调了更大的物质困难与不安全的枪支储存之间的关联。这些发现强调了公共卫生干预措施的必要性，这些措施应解决安全储存枪支的经济障碍，从而有可能减少经历物质困难的个人中与枪支相关的伤害和死亡。
