Caregivers' reported views on firearm counseling

Firearm related injuries are the leading cause of death in children older than one year of age. Safety counseling and prevention are cornerstones of injury prevention. This survey study sought to assess caregivers' recollection of firearm safety counseling and who provided that counseling in the past two years. It further sought to determine whom they entrusted to provide this information, and their preferred modalities for future counseling. Secondary objectives included assessing the relationship between parental perspectives on who provided this counseling and how this counseling was provided based on presence of a firearm in the home.

A prospective cross-sectional survey was implemented at a single institution's pediatric emergency department. Parents of children birth-18 years of age were recruited between November 2020 through May 2022, in a private ED treatment room and the survey was administered using a handheld tablet. Excluded were parents of critically ill/injured children (ESI level 1) or those presenting with a primary psychiatric complaint such as suicidal ideation. Chi-square analyses were performed to assess differences in recollection and perception of firearm counseling measures between caregivers who owned a firearm and those who did not.

A total of 820 of 1,181 of eligible caregivers were recruited (response rate of eligible caregivers: 69.4%). 24.1% of respondents recall receiving counseling on firearm safety within the last two years. 56.1% responded affirmatively that pediatricians ought to counsel parents/guardians on firearm safety. 17.4% reported having a firearm in their home, and these respondents were more likely to have received recent safety counseling. Police departments and pediatricians were the most trusted sources for information; with 58.3% and 55.5% of caregivers identifying them as a highly reputable source of such counseling respectively.

Parents are receptive to firearm related counseling by pediatricians and may benefit from learning about the AAP guidelines for firearm and ammunition storage.