 |
|
Are Household Firearms Stored Less Safely in Homes With Adolescents?
Analysis of a National Random Sample of Parents
Renee M. Johnson, PhD;
Matthew Miller, MD, ScD;
Mary Vriniotis, MS;
Deborah Azrael, PhD;
David Hemenway, PhD
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:788-792.
Objective To examine whether firearms are more frequently stored loaded, unlocked, or both in households with adolescents only (aged 13-17 years) compared with households with younger children only (aged 0-12 years).
Design Random-digit-dial survey on firearms (n = 2770). We computed bivariate associations between the presence of adolescents and firearm storage practices. Statistical significance was assessed using prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.
Setting United States.
Participants Survey respondents with children (aged <18 years) who reported the presence of a household firearm.
Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of firearms in the home stored loaded and/or unlocked.
Results Of the 392 respondents, 22% had a loaded firearm, 32% had an unlocked firearm, and 8% had a firearm stored loaded and unlocked. Compared with households with younger children, households with adolescents only were somewhat more likely to store a firearm unlocked (42% vs 29%; prevalence ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.02), loaded (26% vs 20%; prevalence ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.91), or both (10% vs 8%; prevalence ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-3.19).
Conclusions Parents of adolescents appear to be more likely to keep household firearms stored unsafely, especially with regard to keeping firearms unlocked. This is of concern because most youth firearm injuries happen to adolescents. Firearm injury prevention programs should directly target parents of adolescents to promote safe firearm storage.
Author Affiliations: Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
Storage of household firearms: an examination of the attitudes and beliefs of married women with children
Johnson et al.
Health Educ Res 2008;23:592-602.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Is Office-Based Counseling About Media Use, Timeouts, and Firearm Storage Effective? Results From a Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Trial
Barkin et al.
Pediatrics 2008;122:e15-e25.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Guns, Adolescents, and Mental Illness
McNamara and Findling
Am. J. Psychiatry 2008;165:190-194.
FULL TEXT
Effect of War on Weapon-Related Deaths in Croatian Children and Youth
Mujkic et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:140-144.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Firearm Safety in the Home
DePalma
Home Health Care Management Practice 2007;19:307-309.
Gun Safety in Homes with Children
JWatch General 2006;2006:3-3.
FULL TEXT
|
