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Cited by 22Gun Ownership and Violence ResearchHomicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseSuicide and Self-Harm Studies

US racial and sex-based disparities in firearm-related death trends from 1981-2020

Open access
Young, Lindsay J., Xiang, Henry·2022·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0278304PMC PMC9749976
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Abstract

Background: Firearms cause the most suicides (60%) and homicides (36%) in the US. The high lethality and availability of firearms make them a particularly dangerous method of attempted violence. The aim of this study was to study US trends in firearm suicide and homicide mortality and years of potential life lost before age 75 (YPLL-75) between 1981 and 2020. Methods: Data in this cross-sectional study were collected between 1981 and 2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s WISQARS database for fatal injury and violence. Data from the US population were considered for all age groups and were divided by racial groups and sex for analysis. Results: Those most heavily impacted by firearm homicide were Black, with homicide age-adjusted death rates almost seven times higher than White people. A spike in firearm homicide deaths occurred between 2019 and 2020, with Black people having the largest increase (39%). White people had the highest rates of firearm suicide, and suicide death rates increased between 2019 and 2020. Increases in homicide and suicide YPLL-75 between 2011 and 2020 had most heavily impacted minority populations. Men had a firearm suicide rate that was seven times higher than women, and a firearm homicide rate that was five times higher than women. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Black and White men were most impacted by firearm deaths, and that firearm homicide and suicide rates increased between 2019 and 2020 for all racial groups except Asian/Pacific Islander. Our results suggest that prevention efforts should focus on specific demographic factors and articulate the urgency to mitigate firearm-related deaths in the US.

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  • Firearm injury disproportionately affects males and Black individuals.

    “Firearm injury disproportionately affects males and black individuals.”

    From Machine learning classification of new firearm injury encounters in the St Louis region: 2010-2020 (2024) · cites this paper as [22]

    The Results report substantially higher firearm homicide and suicide death rates for men than women, and higher firearm homicide death rates for Black people than White people. But the paper studies deaths, not firearm injury generally; it also reports that White people had the highest firearm suicide death rate. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • People in the Black racial group have a firearm-related homicide mortality rate 7 times higher than those in the White racial group and 5 times higher than those in the American Indian/Alaska Native racial group.

    “People in the Black racial group have a firearm-related homicide mortality rate 7 times higher than those in the White racial group and 5 times higher than those in the American Indian/Alaska Native racial group (race with second highest rate).22”

    From Machine learning classification of new firearm injury encounters in the St Louis region: 2010-2020 (2024) · cites this paper as [22]

  • The homicide death ratio affiliated with firearms is 5 times higher in men than in women.

    “The homicide death ratio affiliated with firearms is 5 times higher in men than in women.22”

    From Machine learning classification of new firearm injury encounters in the St Louis region: 2010-2020 (2024) · cites this paper as [22]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 18

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Young, L. J., & Xiang, H.
Affiliations
Nationwide Children's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
Xiang, Henry
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2022-12-14
Volume
17
Issue
12
Pages
e0278304
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0278304
PMC
PMC9749976
OpenAlex
W4311458245
Cited by
22
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2
FWCI
3.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
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 deaths, firearm homicide, firearm suicide, racial disparities, sex disparities, years of potential life lost, African Americans, men, mortality trends, gun violence prevention, COVID-19 pandemic
MeSH terms
Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Firearms, Homicide, Humans, Male, Suicide, United States, Wounds, Gunshot, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Racial Groups

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