The following is a summary of “Geospatial analysis of firearm injuries in an urban setting: Individual rather than community characteristics affect firearm injury risk,” published in the JUNE 2023 issue of Surgery by Harfouche, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to assess the relationship between individual and socioeconomic characteristics and the risk of firearm injury in an urban center.

A hospital registry was used to identify Baltimore City individuals who experienced interpersonal firearm injuries in 2019 (FA). Injuries that did not meet the criterion were used as a comparison group (NF). Socioeconomic characteristics were linked to home addresses at the block group level. Regression analysis was employed to determine predictors of firearm injury, and clusters of high and low firearm injuries relative to non-firearm injuries were identified.

The study included 1,293 individuals (FA = 277, NF = 1,016). The FA group resided in communities with lower income (P = 0.005), higher poverty (P = 0.007), and a higher proportion of Black residents (P < 0.001). Individual-level factors were stronger predictors of firearm injury than community factors in the multivariate regression, with Black race associated with 5x higher odds of firearm injury (P < 0.001). Firearm injury was found to cluster in areas of low socioeconomic status.

The study suggested that individual factors, particularly race, influence the risk of firearm injury more than community-level factors. Prevention efforts should target young, Black men in urban centers to address firearm injury disparities.

Source: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(23)00014-4/fulltext