Firearm ownership among nonurban adolescents
L. S. Sadowski, R. B. Cairns and J. A. Earp
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
Firearm injury is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. In
this study we examined firearm acquisition and ownership in a biracial
cohort of 664 teenagers (313 male and 351 female). Ownership was prevalent
among male adolescents (48%) and rare among female adolescents (4%). Among
these suburban and rural teenagers, the ownership rate was highest for
white male adolescents (56%). Handgun ownership was more frequent among
male school dropouts (22%) than enrollees (7%). The first firearm was
typically acquired by late childhood or early adolescence (median age, 12.5
years). An adult male family member (eg, father, grandfather, uncle) was
the primary source. The prevalence, developmental timing, and
sociodemographic correlates of firearm acquisition should be useful for
informing preventive clinical practice and interventions.
