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Firearm injuries in the United States
Open accessAbstract
Objective This paper examines the epidemiology of fatal and nonfatal firearm violence in the United States. Trends over two decades in homicide, assault, self-directed and unintentional firearm injuries are described along with current demographic characteristics of victimization and health impact.Method Fatal firearm injury data were obtained from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Nonfatal firearm injury data were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Trends were tested using Joinpoint regression analyses. CDC Cost of Injury modules were used to estimate costs associated with firearm deaths and injuries.Results More than 32,000 persons die and over 67,000 persons are injured by firearms each year. Case fatality rates are highest for self-harm related firearm injuries, followed by assault-related injuries. Males, racial/ethnic minority populations, and young Americans (with the exception of firearm suicide) are disproportionately affected. The severity of such injuries is distributed relatively evenly across outcomes from outpatient treatment to hospitalization to death. Firearm injuries result in over $48 billion in medical and work loss costs annually, particularly fatal firearm injuries. From 1993 to 1999, rates of firearm violence declined significantly. Declines were seen in both fatal and nonfatal firearm violence and across all types of intent. While unintentional firearm deaths continued to decline from 2000 to 2012, firearm suicides increased and nonfatal firearm assaults increased to their highest level since 1995.Conclusion Firearm injuries are an important public health problem in the United States, contributing substantially each year to premature death, illness, and disability. Understanding the nature and impact of the problem is only a first step toward preventing firearm violence. A science-driven approach to understand risk and protective factors and identify effective solutions is key to achieving measurable reductions in firearm violence.
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“Lethal means counseling, secure firearm storage practices, and firearm safety policies can reduce the risk of suicide.”
From Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
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“Rural communities are known to have higher rates of adolescent suicide compared to urban ones, while other community risk factors may come into play such as poverty and unemployment, and higher firearm ownership and access [26, 32].”
From Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
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“In addition, living in a home with a firearm increases the risk of suicide by firearm, which has a fatality rate of up to 85% [26].”
From Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
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“Firearms are lethal 74–85% of the time when used for a suicide attempt and tied for the second leading mechanism of adolescent suicide [1, 26].”
From Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
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“Rural communities are known to have higher rates of adolescent suicide compared to urban ones, while other community risk factors may come into play such as poverty and unemployment, and higher firearm ownership and access [26, 32].”
From Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Fowler, K. A., Dahlberg, L. L., Haileyesus, T., & Annest, J. L.
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fowler, Katherine A.
- ORCID
- Fowler, Katherine A.
- Venue
- Preventive Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-10
- Volume
- 79
- Pages
- 5-14
- ISSN
- 0091-7435 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4700838
- OpenAlex
- W2201785016
- Cited by
- 499
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 85 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 32.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (CC999999)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Gun Ownership and Violence Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Keywords
- firearm injuries, gun violence, homicide, firearm assault, firearm suicide, unintentional firearm injury, case fatality rate, injury costs, racial and ethnic disparities, firearm injury epidemiology
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Firearms, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, Population Surveillance, United States, Violence, Wounds, Gunshot, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Crime Victims, Young Adult
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