Household Firearm Storage Research Articles

Women Veterans’ experiences discussing household firearms with their intimate partners: collaborative, devalued, and deferential relational types

BackgroundRates of firearm suicide have increased among women Veterans. Discussing firearm access and reducing access to lethal means of suicide when suicide risk is heightened are central tenets of suicide prevention, as is tailoring suicide prevention strategies to specific populations. While research has begun to explore how to optimize firearm lethal means safety counseling with women Veterans, there is limited knowledge of women Veterans' perspectives on including their intimate partners in such efforts. This gap is notable since many women Veterans have access to firearms owned by other household members. Understanding women Veterans’ experiences and perspectives regarding including their partners in firearm lethal means safety conversations can provide important information for tailoring firearm lethal means safety counseling for women Veterans.MethodsQualitative interviews were conducted with 40 women Veterans with current or prior household firearm access. Interview questions focused on the roles of women Veterans’ partners in household firearm access and storage, as well as women Veterans’ perspectives regarding including intimate partners in firearm lethal means safety counseling. Inductive thematic analysis was performed.ResultsThree relational types characterized how household firearms were discussed between women Veterans and their partners: collaborative, devalued, and deferential. These types were distinguished via women Veterans’ agency in decision-making related to household firearms, partners’ receptivity to women Veterans’ mental health or trauma histories, and willingness (or lack thereof) of partners to change household firearm access and storage considering such histories. Intimate partner violence was common in the devalued relational subtype.ConclusionsFindings extend knowledge regarding the context of women Veterans’ household firearm access, including relational dynamics between women Veterans and their partners. The acceptability, feasibility, challenges, and facilitators of including women Veterans’ partners in firearm lethal means safety efforts likely vary for each relational type. For example, in dyads with a collaborative dynamic, incorporating partners may create opportunities for increased firearm safety, whereas including partners in devalued dynamics may present unique challenges. Research is warranted to determine optimal methods of navigating firearm lethal means safety counseling in the presence of each relational dynamic.

Teen firearm access during COVID: a repeated cross-sectional analysis of Pennsylvania families

PurposeThis study aims to investigate patterns in adolescent gun access and household gun storage in 2021 and 2022.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from two cross-sectional surveys of Pennsylvania parents with a teenage child at home.FindingsThe results indicated that about 20% of gun owners in each survey stored their guns loaded; a similar percentage stored their guns unlocked. Very few gun owners reported that their children could access their guns without adult supervision. This study found no change in gun storage practices between 2021 and 2022, but higher rates of gun ownership in 2022. The factors associated with gun storage behaviors did change between the two time points. COVID-related uncertainties and transitions in the household were linked to gun ownership and less safe storage practices in 2021, but not in 2022.Originality/valueThis study identified factors associated with teen gun access at distinct points during the pandemic. This study found little evidence of any association between child mental health and household firearm storage.

Firearms, Physicians, Families, and Kids: Finding Words that Work

Firearms, Physicians, Families, and Kids: Finding Words that Work

Firearm ownership and access to healthcare in the U.S.: A cross-sectional analysis of six states

Provider-led firearm storage counseling is a form of firearm suicide prevention intervention. Little research examines whether barriers to healthcare access for at-risk individuals limit this intervention's impact. This study explores the relationship between household firearm presence/storage practices and healthcare access/utilization using a cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which included state-representative data from six states that completed the Firearm Safety and Healthcare Access Modules: California, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. Exposures were household firearm presence and firearm storage practices. Outcomes were lacking health insurance, not having a healthcare provider, inability to afford care, and no recent routine checkup. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, employment, children in the household, and state of residency. Our analysis included 31,888 individuals; 31.1% reported a household firearm. Compared to those in firearm-owning households, those in non-firearm-owning households had higher odds of being uninsured (aOR 1.99, 95%CI 1.60–2.48), not having a provider (aOR 1.40, 95%CI 1.18–1.67), and reporting cost as a barrier to care (aOR 1.37, 95%CI 1.13–1.67). Among firearm-owning households, those with firearms stored loaded and unlocked had higher odds of lacking a personal healthcare provider (aOR 1.52, 95%CI 1.07–2.15) compared to individuals in homes where firearms were stored unloaded. Results indicate that while individuals in firearm-owning households are more likely than non-firearm owning households to have healthcare access, those in homes with the riskiest firearm storage practices had less access. Provider-led counseling may have limited reach for individuals in homes with risky firearm storage practices.

A multi-state evaluation of the association between mental health and firearm storage practices

Firearm storage method is a potentially modifiable risk factor for suicide. Using data from a large, multi-state survey, we sought to determine whether there is an association between mental health and household firearm storage practices, and characterize that association by state of residence. Participants who endorsed the presence of a household firearm and answered the mental health questions in the 2016–2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from eight states were included (n=26,949). Exposures were recent poor mental health (≥14 vs. 0–13 days/past month), and diagnosis of depression. Outcomes were household firearm storage practices (loaded, and both loaded and unlocked). Using Poisson regression, we calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) overall and stratified by state of residence. Of adults endorsing a household firearm, 35.1% reported storing a firearm loaded, and of those, 53.4% reported that the firearm was both loaded and unlocked. Neither recent poor mental health nor depression was associated with loaded (aPR 1.14 [95% CI: 0.95–1.37] and aPR 0.94 [95% CI 0.80–1.09], respectively) or loaded and unlocked (aPR 1.08 [95% CI 0.88–1.42] and aPR 1.04 [95% CI 0.88–1.22], respectively) firearm storage. In the setting of highly prevalent loaded firearm storage, no differences in storage practices by mental health indicators were observed across eight states despite disparate firearm policies and local culture. The lack of difference in storage practices by mental health indicators across several states highlights an opportunity to improve means safety counseling practices, and the need for dedicated evaluation of state-level firearm storage policies.

Are Young Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Risk Factors Associated with Household Firearm Ownership and Storage?

Are Young Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Risk Factors Associated with Household Firearm Ownership and Storage?

Firearm Storage Practices and Risk Perceptions

During the past 2 decades, gun owners have become more likely to store household firearms loaded and unlocked, and believe that guns make homes safer rather than more dangerous. Self-reported household firearm storage practices were described among 2,001 gun owners in relation to whether they report that firearms make homes (1) safer, (2) more dangerous, or (3) it depends. Data were from a probability-based online survey administered in 2015 (completion rate, 55%) and analyzed in 2018. Nearly 60% of gun owners said that guns make homes safer (57.6%, 95% CI=55.1%, 60.1%), 39.9% (95% CI=37.4%, 42.5%) said that it depends (on other factors), and 2.5% (95% CI=1.8%, 3.4%) said that guns make homes more dangerous. A higher proportion of gun owners who reported that they believe guns increase household safety said that they store household firearms loaded and unlocked (39.2%, 95% CI=35.9%, 42.6%), compared with those who thought guns make the home either more dangerous (3.7%, 95% CI=1.3%, 10.1%) or those who thought the effect of guns on household safety depends on additional factors (17.5%, 95% CI=14.7%, 20.7%). Gun owners who are most likely to assert categorically that firearms in the home make homes safer are, as a group, far more likely to store guns in their home loaded and unlocked.

Association of Increased Safe Household Firearm Storage With Firearm Suicide and Unintentional Death Among US Youths

Firearm injury is the second leading cause of death in the United States for children and young adults. The risk of unintentional and self-inflicted firearm injury is lower when all household firearms are stored locked. To estimate the reduction in youth firearm suicide and unintentional firearm mortality that would result if more adults in households with youth stored household guns locked. A modeling study using Monte Carlo simulation of youth firearm suicide and unintentional firearm mortality in 2015. A simulated US national sample of firearm-owning households where youth reside was derived using nationally representative rates of firearm ownership and storage and population data from the US Census to test a hypothetical intervention, safe storage of firearms in the home, on youth accidental death and suicide. Data analyses were performed from August 3, 2017, to January 9, 2018. Observed and counterfactual household-level safe firearm storage (ie, storing all firearms locked), the latter estimated by varying the probability that a hypothetical intervention increased safe firearm storage beyond that observed in 2015. Observed and counterfactual counts of firearm suicide and unintentional firearm mortality among youth aged 0 to 19 years, the latter estimated by incorporating an empirically based estimate of the mortality benefit expected from additional safe storage (beyond that observed in 2015). A hypothetical intervention among firearm owners residing with children with a 20% probability of motivating these owners to lock all household firearms was significantly associated with a projected reduction in youth firearm mortality (median incidence rate ratio = 0.90; interquartile range, 0.87-0.93). In the overall model, 6% to 32% of deaths were estimated to be preventable depending on the probability of motivating safer storage. Results of this modeling study suggest that a relatively modest uptake of a straightforward safe storage recommendation-lock all household firearms-could result in meaningful reductions in firearm suicide and unintentional firearm fatalities among youth. Approaches that will motivate additional parents to store firearms safely are needed.

Firearm Storage and Adult Alcohol Misuse Among Washington State Households With Children

Firearm injuries and fatalities among children are an important public health problem. Children living with an adult misusing alcohol may be at a heightened risk for self-harm or unintentional injury, highlighting the need to investigate the association between household firearm storage and adult alcohol misuse. To characterize household firearm presence among children by various sociodemographic characteristics, and to assess the association between children living in a home with an unsafely stored firearm and an adult reporting alcohol misuse. This cross-sectional investigation uses data from the 2013 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in the state of Washington, a program that administers a telephone survey statewide to randomly selected noninstitutionalized adults at least 18 years of age about their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. The 2013 and 2016 data included 5241 responses to the firearm ownership and storage module and the Random Child Selection module (intended for a randomly selected child younger than age 18 years and reported by an adult living in the same household). Data for this study were collected from January 1 through December 31, 2013, and January 1 through December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from March through May 2018. The primary outcomes were a child's residence in a firearm-owning home, the manner in which household firearms were stored, and the adult respondent's alcohol consumption. Among the 3443 children living in a non-firearm-owning household, 50.7% were male (all values given as a percentage only are weighted); among those reporting specific age, the weighted mean age was 9.3 years (unweighted mean [SD], 10.1 [5.2] years). In the 1756 children living in a firearm-owning household, 52.5% were male; among those reporting specific age, the weighted mean age was 9.1 years (unweighted mean [SD], 9.8 [5.4] years). An estimated 470 000 children (29.4%; 95% CI, 27.3%-31.7%) in the state resided in a firearm-owning household. Among them, 258 000 children (54.6%; 95% CI, 51.5%-57.6%) lived with at least 1 firearm that was not stored safely (ie, not locked and unloaded). Firearms were more likely to be stored unsafely in homes in which an adult reported alcohol misuse (prevalence ratio: 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.35). Children living in a household with an adult who misuses alcohol may be more likely to live with an unsafely stored firearm, which is concerning given the association between adult alcohol misuse and children's risk for sustaining injury.

Improving Firearm Storage in Alaska Native Villages: A Randomized Trial of Household Gun Cabinets

We determined if the installation of gun cabinets improved household firearm storage practices. We used a wait list, randomized trial design with 2 groups. The "early" group received the intervention at baseline, and the "late" group received it at 12 months. Up to 2 gun cabinets were installed in each enrolled home, along with safety messages. In-person surveys were conducted at 12 and 18 months to determine the proportion of households reporting unlocked guns or ammunition. Direct observations of unlocked guns were also compared. At baseline, 93% of homes reported having at least 1 unlocked gun in the home, and 89% reported unlocked ammunition. At 12 months, 35% of homes in the early group reported unlocked guns compared with 89% in the late group (P < .001). Thirty-six percent of the early homes reported unlocked ammunition compared with 84% of late homes (P < .001). The prevalence of these storage practices was maintained at 18 months. Observations of unlocked guns decreased significantly (from 20% to 8%) between groups (P < .03). Gun cabinet installation in rural Alaskan households improved the storage of guns and ammunition. If these gains are sustained over time, it may lead to a reduction in gun-related injuries and deaths in this population.

Firearm storage practices and rates of unintentional firearm deaths in the United States

Background: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association recommend storing firearms unloaded and locked up to minimize the chance of injury. Although these recommendations appeal to common sense, no study has yet addressed whether firearm storage practices influence the risk of unintentional firearm injury. Methods: Negative binomial regression analyses were used to assess the cross sectional relation between firearm storage practices and rates of unintentional firearm death in the United States, controlling for rates of firearm prevalence, poverty and urbanization. Recently available state-level measures of household firearm prevalence and firearm storage practices were obtained from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Unintentional firearm death counts and population data came from the National Center for Health Statistics. Results: Independent of firearm prevalence, urbanization, and poverty, a disproportionately large share of unintentional firearm fatalities occurred in states where gun owners were more likely to store their firearms loaded, the greatest risk occurring in states where loaded firearms were more likely to be stored unlocked. Conclusion: Our findings provide empirical support for recommendations issued by the AMA and the AAP that firearms should be stored unloaded and locked, and suggest that promoting safer storage practices could save many lives.

Gun Storage Practices and Risk of Youth Suicide and Unintentional Firearm Injuries

Household firearms are associated with an elevated risk of firearm death to occupants in the home. Many organizations and health authorities advocate locking firearms and ammunition to prevent access to guns by children and adolescents. The association of these firearm storage practices with the reduction of firearm injury risk is unclear. To measure the association of specific household firearm storage practices (locking guns, locking ammunition, keeping guns unloaded) and the risk of unintentional and self-inflicted firearm injuries. Case-control study of firearms in events identified by medical examiner and coroner offices from 37 counties in Washington, Oregon, and Missouri, and 5 trauma centers in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, Wash, and Kansas City, Mo. CASES AND CONTROLS: Case firearms were identified by involvement in an incident in which a child or adolescent younger than 20 years gained access to a firearm and shot himself/herself intentionally or unintentionally or shot another individual unintentionally. Firearm assaults and homicides were excluded. We used records from hospitals and medical examiners to ascertain these incidents. Using random-digit dial telephone sampling, control firearms were identified by identification of eligible households with at least 1 firearm and children living or visiting in the home. Controls were frequency matched by age group and county. The key exposures of interest in this study were: (1) whether the subject firearm was stored in a locked location or with an extrinsic lock; (2) whether the firearm was stored unloaded; (3) whether the firearm was stored both unloaded in a locked location; (4) whether the ammunition for the firearm was stored separately; and (5) whether the ammunition was stored in a locked location. Data regarding the storage status of case and control guns were collected by interview with respondents from the households of case and control firearms. We interviewed 106 respondents with case firearms and 480 with control firearms. Of the shootings associated with the case firearms, 81 were suicide attempts (95% fatal) and 25 were unintentional injuries (52% fatal). After adjustment for potentially confounding variables, guns from case households were less likely to be stored unloaded than control guns (odds ratio [OR], 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16-0.56). Similarly, case guns were less likely to be stored locked (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.17-0.45), stored separately from ammunition (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.34-0.93), or to have ammunition that was locked (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.23-0.66) than were control guns. These findings were consistent for both handguns and long guns and were also similar for both suicide attempts and unintentional injuries. The 4 practices of keeping a gun locked, unloaded, storing ammunition locked, and in a separate location are each associated with a protective effect and suggest a feasible strategy to reduce these types of injuries in homes with children and teenagers where guns are stored.

Household firearm storage practices: Do responses differ by whether or not individuals ever use firearms?

Introduction: The prevalence with which firearms are stored loaded or unlocked has been measured in previous surveys. Our purpose was to compare household firearm storage practices reported by firearm users and nonusers. Methods: We analyzed telephone survey data from the 1992 and 1993 Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on 2454 randomly selected adults in households with firearms. We compared reported firearm storage practices among persons who ever used firearms with persons who had never used firearms by demographics and type of firearm. Results: Nonusers of firearms were much less likely than firearm users to report that household firearms were always or sometimes stored loaded [odds ratio (OR) = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI):0.36–0.54] or stored loaded and unlocked (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.36–0.57). Except for persons aged 18 to 34 years and persons in handgun-only households, differences in reported firearm storage practices between nonusers and users varied little by demographic characteristics or by type of firearm. Nonusers of household firearms may be unaware that firearms are stored loaded or stored loaded and unlocked in their homes. Conclusions: Surveys that do not consider firearm use status may underestimate household exposure to loaded firearms or to loaded and unlocked firearms.

Population Estimates of Household Firearm Storage Practices and Firearm Carrying in Oregon

To examine statewide data on exposure of adults and children to loaded and unlocked household firearms, and to estimate the prevalence of firearm carrying among adults in Oregon. Analyses of 1992 and 1993 telephone survey data from 6202 adults aged 18 years and older using the Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Number of adults and children exposed to household firearms always or sometimes stored loaded and unlocked. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for exposure to loaded and unlocked firearms and firearm carrying among adults by demographic and alcohol use patterns. Ten percent of adults (197 400 persons) lived in households with firearms that were always or sometimes stored loaded and unlocked. An estimated 6.2% of households with children had firearms that were loaded and unlocked, and about 40 000 children lived in these households. Overall, 4.4% of adults carried loaded firearms in the past month. Rural residence, male sex, and less than a college education were associated with living in a household with loaded and unlocked firearms and with firearm carrying. Drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages on 1 or more occasions in the past month (OR, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.3) or drinking 60 or more alcoholic beverages in the past month (OR, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.7) were independently associated with living in households with loaded and unlocked firearms. Many adults and children are exposed to unsafely stored firearms in Oregon, and many adults carry loaded firearms. Improved public health surveillance of firearm storage and firearm carrying using standardized questions and definitions is needed at the national, state, and local levels.

Population estimates of household firearm storage practices and firearm carrying in Oregon

Population estimates of household firearm storage practices and firearm carrying in Oregon