Keeping Children Safe at Home: Parent Perspectives to Firearms Safety Education Delivered by Pediatric Providers

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health
• Firearms Safety Education

Background:

• Firearms are a leading cause of death and injury among children in the United States.
• There is a need to understand parental attitudes towards firearms safety education in clinical settings.
• Assessing parental engagement in firearms safety dialogues and storage practices is crucial for injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate parent acceptance of firearms education provided by clinical professionals.
• To determine if parents discuss firearms safety with their children.
• To examine the motivations behind firearm ownership and current storage behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to parents of children aged 0–18 years in a Texas pediatric inpatient setting.
• Data collected included demographics, acceptance of safety advice, current behaviors, and storage practices.
• Statistical analysis, including Fisher exact and chi-squared tests, compared responses between firearm owners and non-owners.

Main Results:

• 41% of 115 surveyed parents owned firearms.
• A majority of parents were receptive to pediatrician's gun safety advice (67%), safety videos (59%), and firearm locks (69%).
• Firearm owners were more likely to discuss gun safety with children than non-owners (P=0.004). Most owners stored firearms unloaded (75%) with safety devices (95%).

Conclusions:

• Discussions about firearms safety in healthcare settings are generally well-received by parents, irrespective of firearm ownership.
• Healthcare providers have a significant opportunity to deliver effective and efficient firearms safety education.
• Parental acceptance suggests that clinical settings can be a viable venue for promoting safer firearm storage and practices.