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Walsh CS, Sullivan TN, Kliewer W, Ross KM. A Qualitative Scoping Review of Community Firearm Violence in Low-Income Settings. J Community Health 2025; 50:287-305. [PMID: 39467960 PMCID: PMC11937192 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-024-01419-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/30/2024]
Abstract
Firearm violence is a public health crisis in the United States that disproportionately impacts community members in low-income areas who witness and experience violence and violent victimization at elevated rates compared to other socioeconomic groups, often as result of community disinvestment and systemic racism (Smith et al., Soc Sci Med 246:112587, 2020). While quantitative reviews of firearm violence and related factors exist, a review of qualitative methods and findings regarding exposure to firearm violence has not yet been conducted. This scoping review sought to address a gap in the literature by summarizing the findings of qualitative studies on community firearm violence in low-income settings in the U.S. EBSCO databases, Criminal Justice Abstracts, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts, ProQuest, and PsycINFO were searched for studies that described the firearm related experiences of individuals and families in low-income communities. Thirty studies met the criteria for review. Findings were situated within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Social-Ecological Model as a framework for prevention (CDC, The social-ecological model: a framework for prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/social-ecologicalmodel.html , 2018; Dahlberg and Krug, World Report on violence and health, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2002). A critique of the literature, as well as implications and future directions of findings, are discussed. This study may inform future research questions and programs that center the voices of those most impacted by firearm violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen S Walsh
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Terri N Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, P. O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Wendy Kliewer
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, P. O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Katherine M Ross
- Search Institute, 3001 Broadway Street NE #310, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, USA
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Jebbia M, Nahmias J, Dolich M, Schubl S, Lekawa M, Swentek L, Grigorian A. COVID-19: A national rise in penetrating trauma cared for by a prepared trauma system. Surg Open Sci 2024; 20:131-135. [PMID: 39055372 PMCID: PMC11269280 DOI: 10.1016/j.sopen.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the collective American psyche. Socioeconomic hardships including social isolation led to an increase in firearm sales. Previous regional studies demonstrated increased penetrating trauma during the pandemic but it is unclear if trauma systems were prepared for this influx of penetrating injuries. This study aimed to confirm this increased penetrating trauma trend nationally and hypothesized penetrating trauma patients treated during the pandemic had a higher risk of complications and death, compared to pre-pandemic patients. Methods The 2017-2020 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was divided into pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and pandemic years (2020). Bivariate analyses and a multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed controlling for age, comorbidities, injuries, and vitals on arrival. Results From 3,525,132 patients, 936,890 (26.6 %) presented during the pandemic. The pandemic patients had a higher rate of stab-wounds (4.8 % vs. 4.5 %, p > 0.001) and gunshot wounds (5.8 % vs. 4.6 %, p < 0.001) compared to pre-pandemic patients. Among penetrating trauma patients, the rate and associated risk of in-hospital complications (5.0 % vs. 5.1 %, p = 0.38) (OR 0.98, CI 0.94-1.02, p = 0.26) was similar between pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts but adjusted risk of mortality decreased during the pandemic (8.3 % vs. 8.3 %, p = 0.45) (OR 0.92, CI 0.89-0.96, p < 0.001). Conclusion This national analysis confirms an increased rate of penetrating trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a higher rate of gunshot injuries. However, this did not result in an increased risk of death or complications suggesting that trauma systems across the country were prepared to handle a dual pandemic of COVID and firearm violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory Jebbia
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Jeffry Nahmias
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Dolich
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian Schubl
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Michael Lekawa
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Lourdes Swentek
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Areg Grigorian
- University of California, Irvine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, Orange, CA, USA
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Schellenberg M, Walters A. The uprise of gun violence in the United States: consequences of a dual pandemic. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2023; 36:132-136. [PMID: 36421076 DOI: 10.1097/aco.0000000000001218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) viral outbreak and the rise of the anti-Black racism movement have produced a dual pandemic over the past few years, which has been associated with a dramatic rise in gun violence across the United States. This comprehensive review was performed to examine the current levels of gun violence in the context of these dual pandemics, delineate factors which have synergistically produced this surge in interpersonal violence, and propose future directions. RECENT FINDINGS Dual pandemics have mutually contributed to a worsening in many social determinants of health and thereby have had a particularly dramatic impact on many of our most vulnerable patients, including patients of minority races and ethnicities, in terms of interpersonal violence. Firearm injuries are at their highest rate in decades. The challenges in the trauma care of these patients have been compounded by staffing and resource shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic and attrition of medical workers related to burnout. SUMMARY Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-Black racism movement have produced a social environment in the United States in recent years where interpersonal violence, especially firearm injuries, have surged. Particularly, during a time of challenged patient care delivery, the medical system struggles to support the increase in trauma volume. A broad approach to improving social determinants of health should be pursued in order to decrease the risk of gun violence from the recent near-historical high levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Schellenberg
- Division of Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, LAC+USC Medical Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Andrew Walters
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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South EC, Hemenway D, Webster DW. Gun violence research is surging to inform solutions to a devastating public health crisis. Prev Med 2022; 165:107325. [PMID: 36374716 PMCID: PMC9642971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia C South
- Urban Health Lab, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
| | - David Hemenway
- Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Daniel W Webster
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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