Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments
Objectives: Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at high risk for violent victimization. This study leverages unique data from a national study in the United States of America to provide estimates of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH and to describe the contexts related to injury, such as su...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Public Health in Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535223000927 |
| _version_ | 1797398534307184640 |
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| author | Nathaniel A. Dell Michael G. Vaughn Christopher P. Salas-Wright |
| author_facet | Nathaniel A. Dell Michael G. Vaughn Christopher P. Salas-Wright |
| author_sort | Nathaniel A. Dell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at high risk for violent victimization. This study leverages unique data from a national study in the United States of America to provide estimates of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH and to describe the contexts related to injury, such as substance use, intent of the injury, and precipitating interpersonal factors. Study design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Data from the 1993–2020 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Firearm Injury Surveillance Study (NEISS-FISS) were used to describe the context and characteristics of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH aged 16 years or older. Homeless status and substance use data were extracted from a de-identified narrative field. Estimates were weighted to account for the NEISS-FISS complex sampling design. Results: Probable homelessness was identified in 0.10% of cases (n = 3,225). Substance use was documented in 22.73% of cases. Assault comprised 82.64% of injuries. Patients were mostly male (81.38%). Missing data were common on contextual variables: verbal argument (64.62%), physical fight (54.48%) or other criminal activity (62.33%). Conclusions: Assault is a leading cause of non-fatal firearm injury for PEH and is greater than rates of assault in non-fatal firearm injuries in the general population. Substance use was documented in nearly one quarter of patients, although this is less than expected given prior evidence. Reliance on narrative fields for key variables likely underestimates rates of PEH and substance use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:26:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ee062148f8e84e28ac0cf48942d47518 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-5352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:26:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health in Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee062148f8e84e28ac0cf48942d475182023-12-10T06:18:30ZengElsevierPublic Health in Practice2666-53522023-12-016100446Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departmentsNathaniel A. Dell0Michael G. Vaughn1Christopher P. Salas-Wright2Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA; Corresponding author. Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, & Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USASchool of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USAObjectives: Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at high risk for violent victimization. This study leverages unique data from a national study in the United States of America to provide estimates of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH and to describe the contexts related to injury, such as substance use, intent of the injury, and precipitating interpersonal factors. Study design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Data from the 1993–2020 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Firearm Injury Surveillance Study (NEISS-FISS) were used to describe the context and characteristics of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH aged 16 years or older. Homeless status and substance use data were extracted from a de-identified narrative field. Estimates were weighted to account for the NEISS-FISS complex sampling design. Results: Probable homelessness was identified in 0.10% of cases (n = 3,225). Substance use was documented in 22.73% of cases. Assault comprised 82.64% of injuries. Patients were mostly male (81.38%). Missing data were common on contextual variables: verbal argument (64.62%), physical fight (54.48%) or other criminal activity (62.33%). Conclusions: Assault is a leading cause of non-fatal firearm injury for PEH and is greater than rates of assault in non-fatal firearm injuries in the general population. Substance use was documented in nearly one quarter of patients, although this is less than expected given prior evidence. Reliance on narrative fields for key variables likely underestimates rates of PEH and substance use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535223000927HomelessnessFirearm injuryVictimizationEmergency departmentSubstance misuse |
| spellingShingle | Nathaniel A. Dell Michael G. Vaughn Christopher P. Salas-Wright Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments Public Health in Practice Homelessness Firearm injury Victimization Emergency department Substance misuse |
| title | Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments |
| title_full | Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments |
| title_fullStr | Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments |
| title_short | Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments |
| title_sort | firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness cross sectional evidence from a national survey of united states emergency departments |
| topic | Homelessness Firearm injury Victimization Emergency department Substance misuse |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535223000927 |
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