Affiliates Publish Results of CSDE-Funded Study of Firearm Injury Spatial Patterns in King County
Posted: 4/8/2019 (CSDE Research)
A group of CSDE scholars including Fellow Alumna Brianna Mills, Epidemiology PhD, and Affiliates Anjum Hajat, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Paula Nurius, Professor of Social Work, Ross Matsueda, Professor of Sociology, and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Professor of Epidemiology, recently published a paper titled “Firearm assault injuries by residence and injury occurrence location” in Injury Prevention. CSDE supported this study through the Shanahan Fellowship.
Using linked hospital and death records, they examined residence and injury locations for firearm assaults and homicides in or among residents of King County from January 2010 to December 2014. In total, 670 injuries were identified, 586 with geocoded residence and injury locations. They found that three-quarters of injuries occurred outside the census tract where the victim resided. Median distance between locations was 3.9 miles, with victims 18–34 having the greatest distances between residence and injury location. 40 of 398 tracts had a ratio of injury incidents to injured residents of >1. Routine collection of injury location data and homelessness status could decrease misclassification and bias.