Understanding social and environmental risks of firearm injury using geospatial patterns.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Urban Health

Background:

• Understanding spatial patterns of firearm-related injuries (FRI) is crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies.
• This study examines geographic FRI patterns, focusing on the proximity of home to injury location and associated social determinants of health (SDOH).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the spatial relationship between firearm-related injury (FRI) locations and patients' home addresses.
• To investigate the association between locational social determinants of health (SDOH) and firearm-related injury (FRI) patterns.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of FRI patients (01/2016-10/2022) at a Level 1 trauma center.
• Collected patient home and injury ZCTAs (ZCTA tabulation areas).
• Calculated SDOH indicators (Distressed Communities Index [DCI] and Social Deprivation Index [SDI]) by ZIP code.

Main Results:

• Of 6326 FRI cases, 37.8% occurred at the home address, 57.1% within 5 miles, and 87.2% within 20 miles.
• Injury locations exhibited significantly higher DCI and SDI compared to home addresses (p < 0.001).
• Twenty ZCTAs accounted for 68.4% of injury locations, with SDI and DCI associated with FRI volume.

Conclusions:

• Firearm-related injuries (FRI) are often spatially concentrated near victims' homes.
• Areas with higher social deprivation and distress are disproportionately affected by firearm-related injuries (FRI).
• Targeting high-distress "hotspots" offers a strategic approach to maximize the impact of violence reduction efforts.