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Rural-urban differences in post-9/11 women veterans' firearm ownership and characteristics
Ashley M Griffith1,2,3, Christin Miller4,5, Nicole M Caulfield4,6
1VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA. ashley.griffith2@va.gov.
Injury Epidemiology
|November 4, 2025
Summary
Rural women Veterans are more likely to own firearms than urban women Veterans. Assessing firearm access is crucial for suicide prevention among all women Veterans, particularly those in rural areas.
Area of Science:
- Veterans' health
- Public health
- Firearm safety
Background:
- Firearm access is linked to increased suicide risk.
- Limited data exists on firearm ownership among rural women Veterans.
- Suicide rates are rising among women Veterans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between rurality and firearm ownership among women Veterans.
- To investigate firearm characteristics (type, number, reasons, safety, storage) in relation to rurality.
- To inform suicide prevention strategies for women Veterans.
Main Methods:
- A 2020 survey assessed firearm ownership in 525 post-9/11 women Veterans.
- Poisson regression with robust standard errors compared rural and urban firearm ownership.
- Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.
Main Results:
- Rural women Veterans reported higher rates of personal (PR=1.30) and household (PR=1.22) firearm ownership compared to urban counterparts.
- No significant differences were found in firearm types, number, storage, reasons for ownership, or perceived safety.
- Rural women Veterans were more likely to own long guns or both long guns and handguns.
Conclusions:
- Firearm ownership assessment is vital for suicide prevention in both rural and urban women Veterans.
- This assessment may be particularly important for post-9/11 women Veterans in rural settings.
- Understanding firearm access is key to reducing suicide risk in this population.
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