Marts Erika, Rivara Frederick P, Santaularia N Jeanie, Rowhani-Rahbar Ali
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
BMC Pediatr. 2025 Jun 5;25(1):455. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-05816-0.
Firearm-related harm is a pressing public health problem in the United States, particularly among adolescents. While informative, national level data may mask variations in firearm injury incidence across and within states.Publicly available firearm injury data may be limited or unavailable, highlighting the importance of analyzing more granular data to develop or refine tailored interventions shaped by the unique needs and contexts of individual communities.
This retrospective cohort study used data from a Level I Trauma Center and death records to examine adolescent firearm injury trends in King County, Washington from 2011 to 2021. We calculated incidence rates per 100,000 population for each year of the study period and examined differences by fatality, intent, race, ethnicity, age, and sex.
Annual incidence rate of overall firearm injury significantly increased during the study period from 18.1 to 24.9 per 100,000 persons (p = 0.003); we observed the highest rate in 2020 (26.5 per 100,000 persons) and the lowest in 2013 (11.5 per 100,000 persons). Nonfatal firearm injuries comprised 71.4% of our sample and had the highest rate in 2020 (18.7 per 100,000 persons), while the rate of fatal firearm injuries was highest in 2021 (8.0 per 100,000 persons). Assault-related firearm injuries were most frequent (73.7%), were primarily nonfatal (81.7%), and significantly increased during the study period (p < 0.001). The rate of self-inflicted injuries surpassed that of unintentional injuries during the study period and the majority were fatal (92.5%). Overall firearm injury incidence rates were highest among adolescents aged 18-19, males, and individuals from racial or ethnic minority groups.
The rate of firearm injuries among King County adolescents significantly increased between 2011 and 2021. Our study identified a disproportionate burden of firearm-related harm among King County adolescents who are Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Latine, male, and aged 18-19, highlighting disparities in firearm injury by demographic subgroups. These findings may assist the development of local evidence-informed prevention and intervention strategies and guide the implementation of existing interventions among adolescents disproportionately impacted by firearm-related harm.
在美国，与枪支相关的伤害是一个紧迫的公共卫生问题，在青少年中尤为突出。虽然全国层面的数据具有参考价值，但可能掩盖了各州之间及州内枪支伤害发生率的差异。公开可得的枪支伤害数据可能有限或无法获取，这凸显了分析更细化数据以制定或完善针对个别社区独特需求和背景的定制化干预措施的重要性。
这项回顾性队列研究使用了一级创伤中心的数据和死亡记录，以研究2011年至2021年华盛顿州金县青少年枪支伤害趋势。我们计算了研究期间每年每10万人的发病率，并按死亡情况、意图、种族、族裔、年龄和性别进行了差异分析。
在研究期间，总体枪支伤害的年发病率显著上升，从每10万人18.1例增至24.9例（p = 0.003）；我们观察到2020年发病率最高（每10万人26.5例），2013年最低（每10万人11.5例）。非致命枪支伤害占我们样本的71.4%，2020年发病率最高（每10万人18.7例），而致命枪支伤害的发病率在2021年最高（每10万人8.0例）。与袭击相关的枪支伤害最为常见（73.7%），主要为非致命伤（81.7%），且在研究期间显著增加（p < 0.001）。在研究期间，自残伤害的发生率超过了意外伤害，且大多数为致命伤（92.5%）。总体枪支伤害发病率在年龄为18 - 19岁的青少年、男性以及种族或族裔少数群体中最高。
2011年至2021年期间，金县青少年的枪支伤害率显著上升。我们的研究发现，在金县黑人、美国印第安人或阿拉斯加原住民、夏威夷原住民或其他太平洋岛民、拉丁裔、男性以及年龄在18 - 19岁的青少年中，与枪支相关的伤害负担过重，凸显了不同人口亚组在枪支伤害方面的差异。这些发现可能有助于制定基于当地证据的预防和干预策略，并指导在受枪支相关伤害影响尤为严重的青少年中实施现有干预措施。
