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Pediatric practice based evaluation of the Steps to Prevent Firearm Injury program
P J Oatis1, N M Fenn Buderer, P Cummings
1Department of Pediatrics, St Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Summary
A pediatric intervention did not significantly reduce gun ownership or improve safe gun storage. While some reductions were observed, they did not reach statistical significance, indicating a need for further research in firearm safety education.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Firearm-related injuries are a significant public health concern in pediatric populations.
- Safe gun storage practices are crucial for preventing unintentional injuries and deaths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention on gun ownership and storage habits among families with pediatric patients.
- To estimate the prevalence of guns in homes and how they are stored before and after the intervention.
Main Methods:
- A before-and-after trial was conducted in an inner-city pediatric primary care practice.
- Parents completed anonymous questionnaires on gun ownership and storage.
- The intervention followed the American Academy of Pediatrics' Steps to Prevent Firearm Injury program.
Main Results:
- Gun ownership decreased from 9.4% to 7.0% among surveyed families, with handgun ownership falling from 5.4% to 3.0%.
- The prevalence of storing guns unlocked remained unchanged at 2.7%.
- The rate of keeping any gun loaded decreased from 1.6% to 0.5%, though these changes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The practice-based educational intervention did not achieve statistically significant reductions in gun ownership or improvements in safe gun storage.
- Further strategies may be needed to effectively promote safer firearm storage in homes with children.