Presenter Profile
Megan Sinik, BS
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
megan-sinik@uiowa.edu
Megan Sinik is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa with plans to enter the field of Internal Medicine for residency. She grew up in Wichita, Kansas and then went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in Exercise Sport Science at the University of Tulsa. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and running the Iowa Mobile Clinic, a free student-run clinic that seeks to deliver care to underserved populations in the SE Iowa area. She hopes that this research will help to give the youth their own voice regarding firearm violence and contribute to the understanding of how their lives intertwine with firearm use.
Presentations
A National Study of Firearm Presence and Storage Practices in Rural Adolescent Homes
Benjamin Linden, BS
Megan Sinik, BS
Kristel Wetjen, RN, MSN
Pam Hoogerwerf, BA
Junlin Liao, PhD
Charles Jennissen, MD
Firearm-related unintentional and suicide death rates are greater in rural areas, and firearm access greatly increases the risk of suicide. A major factor in preventing these tragedies is safe firearm storage. Our study objective was to evaluate firearm exposure and storage practices in the homes of rural adolescents including those living on farms and ranches.
An anonymous survey was administered to a convenience sample of attendees at the 2021 National FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) Convention & Expo at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital injury prevention booth. The data was entered into Qualtrics and then imported into Stata 15.1 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas) for descriptive (frequencies), bivariate (chi-square, Fisher’s exact test) and multivariable logistic regression analyses.
3,206 adolescents who were 13-18 years old participated; 45% lived on a farm, 34% lived in the country but not a farm and 21% lived in a town. In their homes, 87% of participants reported having rifles/shotguns, 71% had handguns and 69% had both rifles/shotguns and handguns. Those living on farms were 7.5x and 2x more likely to have rifles/shotguns and handguns, respectively, as compared to those from towns. Other U.S. Census Regions were at least 2.3x and 1.6x more likely to have rifles/shotguns and handguns, respectively, as compared to those from the Northeast. Rifles/shotguns and handguns were stored unlocked and/or loaded at least some of the time in 66% and 64% of homes, respectively. Those from farms were 1.5x and 1.7x more likely to have rifles/shotguns and handguns stored unlocked and loaded, respectively, as compared to those from town. The South, West and Midwest were 5.9x, 3.2x and 2.8x more likely to have rifles/shotguns and 8.1x, 5.2x and 4.3x more likely to have handguns stored loaded and unlocked, respectively, as compared to the Northeast. For homes with unlocked rifles/shotguns and unlocked handguns, 37% and 36% also stored ammunition unlocked, respectively.
Our study found that the vast majority of rural adolescents surveyed lived in homes with firearms, and a large proportion of those firearms were not stored safely. There were significant differences regarding the presence and storage of firearms by demographic factors, especially the region where youth lived and their home setting (i.e., farms and ranches). Unsafe storage practices are likely contributing to the higher unintentional and suicide death rates seen in rural areas. Widespread efforts are needed to educate rural families about the importance of proper firearm and ammunition storage.
1. To understand the degree of firearm/rifle and handgun presence in the homes of rural youth.
2. To be able to state the storage patterns of firearms/rifles and handguns in rural homes where youth live.
3. To be able to list at least two factors that are associated with an increase in the proportion of homes of rural youth with firearms/rifles and handguns being present, as well as improperly stored.
A National Study of Rural Youth’s Exposure to Firearm Violence and Attitudes Towards Firearm Safety Measures
Megan Sinik, BS
Benjamin Linden, BS
Kristel Wetjen, RN, MSN
Pam Hoogerwerf, BA
Junlin Liao, PhD
Charles Jennissen, MD
Youth have become leading voices of concern as the epidemic of firearm deaths and injuries in the United States continues and worsens. The objective of our study’s was to investigate rural adolescent’s personal experiences with firearm-related violence, and their attitudes towards firearms and gun violence prevention strategies.
At the 2021 National FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) Convention & Expo, a convenience sample of attendees were administered an anonymous survey at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital injury prevention booth. The survey explored their personal experiences with firearm-associated deaths and injuries, and their attitudes regarding firearm-related issues and safety measures. After data were compiled, descriptive (frequencies), bivariate (chi-square, Fisher’s exact test) and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata 15.1 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas).
3,206 adolescents that were 13-18 years old participated in the survey with nearly half (45%) reporting they lived on a farm or ranch, 34% living in the country but not on a farm and 21% from a town. About 10% of participants had personally seen someone threatened with a firearm. Nearly half (46%) stated they knew someone who had been killed or injured by gunfire. Most agreed that a firearm safety course (75%) and background checks (74%) should be mandatory before purchasing a firearm (including sales and gifts between private citizens). One-half agreed that there should be laws requiring safe storage (both locked and unloaded) of firearms in homes, 18% disagreed. Nearly two-fifths (38%) agreed that parents should ask families where their children visit whether they have firearms stored unlocked. Overall, 31% agreed there should be a national database of all privately owned firearms, 35% disagreed. Only 21% agreed healthcare providers should ask parents about firearm storage in the home, 58% disagreed. Overall, those from farms were less likely to agree with firearm safety measures. Over three-quarters agreed a firearm in the home made it safer with nearly half (48%) strongly agreeing.
A majority of adolescent participants supported some firearm safety measures including required training and background checks. However, they do not agree with a number of other measures, some that are major components of firearm injury prevention efforts of organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. We did find that many rural youth’s lives had been affected by the threat of firearm violence and by firearm-related deaths and injuries. Our study did not investigate the effects of firearm violence on participants’ mental health and wellbeing, but future studies addressing this question seem highly justified. Rural firearm injury prevention programs should explore the basis for present attitudes and how they might be best modified to improve safety practices.
1. To understand the degree of exposure rural youth have to firearm-related violence and its resultant injuries and deaths.
2. To be able to state some of the general attitudes youth have about firearm issues.
3. To be able to list at least three factors that might influence youth’s attitudes regarding firearms.