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Variation in pediatric and adolescent firearm mortality rates in rural and urban US counties.
- Source :
-
Pediatrics [Pediatrics] 2010 Jun; Vol. 125 (6), pp. 1112-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 May 24. - Publication Year :
- 2010
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Abstract
- Objective: We examined whether firearm mortality rates among children varied across US counties along a rural-urban continuum.<br />Methods: US vital statistics data were accessed for all pediatric (age: 0-19 years) firearm deaths from 1999 through 2006. Deaths were analyzed according to a modified rural-urban continuum code (based on population size and proximity to metropolitan areas) assigned to each county (3141 counties).<br />Results: In the 8-year study period, there were 23649 pediatric firearm deaths (15190 homicides, 7082 suicides, and 1377 unintentional deaths). Pediatric nonfirearm mortality rates were significantly higher in the most-rural counties (adjusted rate ratio: 1.36 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.64]), compared with the most-urban counties. The most-rural counties demonstrated virtually identical pediatric firearm mortality rates (adjusted rate ratio: 0.91 [95% CI: 0.63-1.32]), compared with the most-urban counties. The most-rural counties had higher rates of pediatric firearm suicide (adjusted rate ratio: 2.01 [95% CI: 1.43-2.83]) and unintentional firearm death (adjusted rate ratio: 2.19 [95% CI: 1.27-3.77]), compared with the most-urban counties. Pediatric firearm homicides rates were significantly higher in the most-urban counties (adjusted rate ratio: 3.69 [95% CI: 2.00-6.80]), compared with the most-rural counties.<br />Conclusions: Children in the most-rural US counties had firearm mortality rates that were statistically indistinguishable from those for children in the most-urban counties. This finding reflects a greater homicide rate in urban counties counterbalanced by greater suicide and unintentional firearm death rates in rural counties. Nonfirearm mortality rates were significantly greater outside the most-urban US counties.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1098-4275
- Volume :
- 125
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Pediatrics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20498168
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3219