Caregivers Asking About Firearms in Homes Their Children Visit

Reducing firearm access among children decreases morbidity and mortality. Little is known about whether caregivers ask about firearms within households their children visit, or which information sources (eg, health care provider, family) increase asking. We estimate the prevalence of asking and evaluate the relationship between information sources and caregivers asking about firearms in homes children visit.

We conducted a survey of US adults from May to June 2023; parents, legal guardians, and caregivers to a child younger than 18 years (herein caregivers) were included (response rate 40.3%). The primary exposures were distinct sources of firearm safety information; the secondary exposure was the cumulative number of distinct sources of firearm safety information a caregiver received. The outcome was caregivers asking about firearms in homes their children visit. Bivariate statistics, logistic regression, and χ2 statistics described independent relationships between sources of firearm information and asking. Multivariable logistic regressions and predictive marginal methods estimated the relationship between cumulative number of distinct information sources and asking. Analyses were weighted to be nationally representative.

Among participants, 29.9% endorsed asking about firearms at homes children visit. All sources of information were associated with increased asking; other parents/guardians (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 2.1-4.6) were most highly associated. Each additional source of information increased the likelihood of asking by 50%.

Our findings underscore the value of firearm safety messaging from multiple distinct sources. This has important implications to increase asking about firearms at other homes and may be useful for other forms of firearm safety education.