Unintentional Firearm Injury Deaths Among Children and Adolescents Aged 0-17 Years - National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2003-2021.

In the United States, unintentional injury is the fourth leading cause of death among infants (i.e., children aged <1 year) and is the top cause of death among children and adolescents aged 1-17 years; firearms are a leading injury method. Unsecured firearms (e.g., unlocked and loaded) are associated with risk for unintentional childhood firearm injury death. Data recorded during 2003-2021 by the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were used to characterize unintentional firearm injury deaths of U.S. infants, children, and adolescents aged 0-17 years (referred to as children in this report). NVDRS identified 1,262 unintentional firearm injury deaths among children aged 0-17 years: the largest percentage (33%) of these deaths were among children aged 11-15 years, followed by 29% among those aged 0-5 years, 24% among those aged 16-17 years, and 14% among persons aged 6-10 years. Overall, 83% of unintentional firearm injury deaths occurred among boys. The majority (85%) of victims were fatally injured at a house or apartment, including 56% in their own home. Approximately one half (53%) of fatal unintentional firearm injuries to children were inflicted by others; 38% were self-inflicted. In 9% of incidents, it was unknown whether the injury was self- or other-inflicted. Approximately two thirds (67%) of shooters were playing with or showing the firearm to others when it discharged. Overall, firearms used in unintentional injury deaths were often stored loaded (74%) and unlocked (76%) and were most commonly accessed from nightstands and other sleeping areas (30%). Unintentional firearm injury deaths of children are preventable. Secured firearm storage practices (e.g., storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition) have been identified as protective factors against child firearm injuries and deaths, underscoring the importance of policymakers, health care professionals (e.g., pediatricians), and others partnering with parents, caregivers, and firearm owners to promote secure firearm storage.

Infant Homicides Within the Context of Safe Haven Laws - United States, 2008-2017.

Homicide is the 13th leading cause of death among infants (i.e., children aged <1 year) in the United States (1). Infant homicides occurring within the first 24 hours of life (i.e., neonaticide) are primarily perpetrated by the mother, who might be of young age, unmarried, have lower educational attainment, and is most likely associated with concealment of an unintended pregnancy and nonhospital birthing (2). After the first day of life, infant homicides might be associated with other factors (e.g., child abuse and neglect or caregiver frustration) (2). A 2002 study of the age variation in homicide risk in U.S. infants during 1989-1998 found that the overall infant homicide rate was 8.3 per 100,000 person-years, and on the first day of life was 222.2 per 100,000 person-years, a homicide rate at least 10 times greater than that for any other time of life (3). Because of this period of heightened risk, by 2008 all 50 states* and Puerto Rico had enacted Safe Haven Laws. These laws allow a parent† to legally surrender an infant who might otherwise be abandoned or endangered (4). CDC analyzed infant homicides in the United States during 2008-2017 to determine whether rates changed after nationwide implementation of Safe Haven Laws, and to examine the association between infant homicide rates and state-specific Safe Haven age limits. During 2008-2017, the overall infant homicide rate was 7.2 per 100,000 person-years, and on the first day of life was 74.0 per 100,000 person-years, representing a 66.7% decrease from 1989-1998. However, the homicide rate on first day of life was still 5.4 times higher than that for any other time in life. No obvious association was found between infant homicide rates and Safe Haven age limits. States are encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of their Safe Haven Laws and other prevention strategies to ensure they are achieving the intended benefits of preventing infant homicides. Programs and policies that strengthen economic supports, provide affordable childcare, and enhance and improve skills for young parents might contribute to the prevention of infant homicides.

Factors Influencing Risk for COVID-19 Exposure Among Young Adults Aged 18-23 Years - Winnebago County, Wisconsin, March-July 2020.

On May 13, 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared the state's Safer at Home Emergency Order (https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/COVID19/EMO28-SaferAtHome.pdf) "unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable,"* thereby increasing opportunities for social and business interactions. By mid-June, Winnebago County,† Wisconsin experienced an increase in the number of infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the largest increase among persons aged 18-23 years (young adults) (1). This age group§ accounts for 12.5% of the population in the county. To identify factors that influence exposure to COVID-19 among young adults in Winnebago County, characteristics of COVID-19 cases and drivers of behaviors in this age group were examined. During March 1-July 18, 2020, 240 young adults received positive SARS-CoV-2 test results, accounting for 32% of all Winnebago County cases. In 30 key informant interviews, most interviewees reported exposure to misinformation, conflicting messages, or opposing views about the need for and effectiveness of masks. Thirteen young adults described social or peer pressure to not wear a mask and perceived severity of disease outcome for themselves as low but high for loved ones at risk. Having low perceived severity of disease outcome might partly explain why, when not in physical contact with loved ones at risk, young adults might attend social gatherings or not wear a mask (2). Exposure to misinformation and unclear messages has been identified as a driver of behavior during an outbreak (3,4), underscoring the importance of providing clear and consistent messages about the need for and effectiveness of masks. In addition, framing communication messages that amplify young adults' responsibility to protect others and target perceived social or peer pressure to not adhere to public health guidance might persuade young adults to adhere to public health guidelines that prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Surveillance for Violent Deaths - National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2021.

Problem/Condition: In 2021, approximately 75,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2021. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics. This report introduces additional incident and circumstance variables, which now include child victim-specific circumstance information. This report also incorporates new U.S. Census Bureau race and ethnicity categories, which now account for more than one race and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander categories and include updated denominators to calculate rates for these populations. Period Covered: 2021. Description of System: NVDRS collects data regarding violent deaths from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner records, and law enforcement reports. This report includes data collected for violent deaths that occurred in 2021. Data were collected from 48 states (all states with exception of Florida and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Forty-six states had statewide data, two additional states had data from counties representing a subset of their population (31 California counties, representing 64% of its population, and 13 Texas counties, representing 63% of its population), and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had jurisdiction-wide data. NVDRS collates information for each violent death and links deaths that are related (e.g., multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident. Results: For 2021, NVDRS collected information on 68,866 fatal incidents involving 70,688 deaths that occurred in 48 states (46 states collecting statewide data, 31 California counties, and 13 Texas counties), and the District of Columbia. The deaths captured in NVDRS accounted for 86.5% of all homicides, legal intervention deaths, suicides, unintentional firearm injury deaths, and deaths of undetermined intent in the United States in 2021. In addition, information was collected for 816 fatal incidents involving 880 deaths in Puerto Rico. Data for Puerto Rico were analyzed separately. Of the 70,688 deaths, the majority (58.2%) were suicides, followed by homicides (31.5%), deaths of undetermined intent that might be due to violence (8.2%), legal intervention deaths (1.3%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm injury deaths (<1.0%). The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement.Demographic patterns and circumstances varied by manner of death. The suicide rate was higher for males than for females. Across all age groups, the suicide rate was highest among adults aged ≥85 years. In addition, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons had the highest suicide rates among all racial and ethnic groups. Among both males and females, the most common method of injury for suicide was a firearm. Among all suicide victims, when circumstances were known (84.4%), suicide was most often preceded by a mental health, intimate partner, or physical health problem or by a recent or impending crisis during the previous or upcoming 2 weeks. The homicide rate was higher for males than for females. Among all homicide victims, the homicide rate was highest among persons aged 20-24 years compared with other age groups. Non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. Among all homicide victims, the most common method of injury was a firearm. When the relationship between a homicide victim and a suspect was known, the suspect was most frequently an acquaintance or friend for male victims and a current or former intimate partner for female victims. Homicide most often was precipitated by an argument or conflict, occurred in conjunction with another crime, or, for female victims, was related to intimate partner violence. Nearly all victims of legal intervention deaths were male, and the legal intervention death rate was highest among men aged 30-34 years. The legal intervention death rate was highest among AI/AN males, followed by Black males. A firearm was used in the majority of legal intervention deaths. When circumstances were known, the most frequent circumstances reported for legal intervention deaths were as follows: the victim used a weapon in the incident and the victim had a substance use problem (other than alcohol use). Other causes of death included unintentional firearm injury deaths and deaths of undetermined intent. Unintentional firearm injury deaths were most frequently experienced by males, non-Hispanic White (White) persons, and persons aged 15-24 years. These deaths most frequently occurred while the shooter was playing with a firearm and were precipitated by a person unintentionally pulling the trigger. The rate of deaths of undetermined intent was highest among males, particularly among AI/AN and Black males, and among adults aged 30-54 years. Poisoning was the most common method of injury in deaths of undetermined intent, and opioids were detected in nearly 80% of decedents tested for those substances. Interpretation: This report provides a detailed summary of data from NVDRS on violent deaths that occurred in 2021. The suicide rate was highest among AI/AN and White males, whereas the homicide rate was highest among Black males. Intimate partner violence precipitated a large proportion of homicides for females. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary precipitating circumstances for multiple types of deaths examined. Public Health Action: Violence is preventable, and data can guide public health action. NVDRS data are used to monitor the occurrence of violence-related fatal injuries and assist public health authorities in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, policies, and practices to reduce and prevent violent deaths. NVDRS data can be used to enhance prevention efforts into actionable strategies. States or jurisdictions have used their Violent Death Reporting System (VDRS) data to guide suicide prevention efforts and highlight where additional focus is needed. For example, North Carolina VDRS program data have played a significant role in expanding activities related to firearm safety and injury prevention. The program served as a primary data source for partners, which led to the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention in the state, focusing on combatting firearm-related deaths. In Maine, the VDRS provided data on law enforcement officer suicides that were used to help support a bill mandating mental health resiliency and awareness training in the state's law enforcement training academy, along with plans for similar training addressing mental health, substance use, and alcohol problems among corrections officers. In addition, states and jurisdictions have also used their VDRS data to examine factors related to homicide in their state or jurisdiction. For example, Georgia VDRS collaborated with the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Violence Reduction to develop two public dashboards that not only offer comprehensive data on violent deaths but also present data on the geographic distribution of populations disproportionately affected by violence to help inform violence prevention interventions.

Trends in Homicide Rates for US Children Aged 0 to 17 Years, 1999 to 2020.

Importance: Homicide is a leading cause of death among children in the US. Objective: To examine trends in child homicide rates and characteristics most commonly associated with these deaths. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, the study team used National Vital Statistics System WONDER mortality data for 38 362 homicide victims aged 0 to 17 years for 1999 to 2020 and National Violent Death Reporting System data for child homicide victims for 2003 to 2019 in 45 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. WONDER data are based on death certificates for US residents. National Violent Death Reporting System data include characteristics of violent deaths, linking information from death certificates, and law enforcement, coroner, and medical examiner reports. Exposures: Child homicide was defined using underlying cause-of-death codes U01 to U02, X85 to Y09, and Y87.1 from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification. Main Outcomes and Measures: Trends in homicide rates per 100 000 children were tested using joinpoint regression analysis; differences in rates from 2019 to 2020 were evaluated using z tests. Circumstances of child homicides were described. Results: This study included 38 362 homicide victims (69.4% male). The overall child homicide rate (per 100 000 children) has increased annually, on average 4.3% since 2013, with a precipitous rise from 2019 to 2020 (2019 rate, 2.2; 2020 rate, 2.8; overall increase of 27.7%). Homicide rates recently increased significantly for boys (2018 rate, 2.9; 2020 rate, 4.1; overall increase of 16.1%), 6- to 10-year-olds (2014 rate, 0.5; 2020 rate, 0.8; overall increase of 5.6%), 11- to 15-year-olds (2018 rate, 1.3; 2020 rate, 2.2; overall increase of 26.9%), 16- to 17-year-olds (2018 rate, 6.6; 2020 rate, 10.0; overall increase of 19.0%), Black children (2012 rate, 5.9; 2018 rate, 6.8; 2020 rate, 9.9; overall increase of 16.6% from 2018 to 2020), Hispanic children (2014 rate, 1.6; 2020 rate, 2.2; overall increase of 4.7%), children in the South (2013 rate, 2.1; 2020 rate, 3.5; overall increase of 6.4%), and in rural (2011 rate, 1.8; 2020 rate, 2.4; overall increase of 3.2%) and urban areas (2013 rate, 1.9; 2020 rate, 2.9; overall increase of 4.4%). Since 1999, homicide rates have decreased for girls (1999 rate, 1.9; 2020 rate, 1.5; overall decrease of 1.4%), infants (1999 rate, 8.7; 2020 rate, 6.6; overall decrease of 1.3%), 1- to 5-year-olds (1999 rate, 2.1; 2020 rate, 1.8; overall decrease of 1.0%), Asian or Pacific Islander children (1999 rate, 2.0; 2020 rate, 0.5; overall decrease of 4.4%), White children (1999 rate, 1.5; 2020 rate, 1.3; overall decrease of 0.7%), and children in the Northeast (1999 rate, 2.0; 2020 rate, 1.7; overall decrease of 1.4%). Homicides of children 10 years or younger were most commonly precipitated by abuse/neglect, perpetrated by parents/caregivers. Homicides of 11- to 17-year-olds were most commonly precipitated by crime and arguments and perpetrated by someone known to them, especially friends and acquaintances. Conclusions and Relevance: The decline in homicide rates for some geographic and child demographic groups is encouraging; however, rates recently increased across several subpopulations, with some racial and ethnic disparities persisting for more than 20 years. More targeted strategies are needed to (1) protect 6- to 10-year-olds, 11- to 17-year-olds, and children in certain geographic areas and (2) urgently address firearm violence, racism, and inequities at the root of youth violence.

Child abuse-related homicides precipitated by caregiver use of harsh physical punishment.

BACKGROUND: Physical punishment (PP), which may involve the use of physical force, has been linked to negative effects in children and can escalate to abusive or harsh PP, resulting in injury or death. OBJECTIVE: To examine characteristics associated with fatal abuse involving caregiver use of harsh PP. METHODS: Data were from the National Violent Death Reporting System in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for years 2012-2018. Qualitative analysis was used to code textual material into categorial data, and logistic regression was used to examine associations between various characteristics and harsh PP. RESULTS: Approximately 4 % (n = 87) of the 2414 abuse-related homicides were known to have been precipitated by caregiver use of harsh PP. In adjusted models, homicides had greater odds of being harsh PP-related when incidents involved mothers' male companions (versus fathers), victims had a previous nonfatal injury (versus no previous nonfatal injury), and another adult participated in the fatal incident or had awareness of prior abuse/neglect (versus those without this characteristic). Two common precipitators of caregivers' use of harsh PP were: 1) child had a bathroom-related accident/soiled clothes (23.0 %; n = 20), and 2) child disobeyed a directive given by the perpetrator (17.2 %; n = 15). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights characteristics associated with fatal abuse precipitated by caregiver use of harsh PP. Children were physically punished for developmentally normative behaviors. Ensuring caregivers are aware of and use effective parenting practices that focus on use of nonphysical discipline and promote healthy child development, may help decrease harsh PP and physical abuse-related homicides among children.

Surveillance for Violent Deaths - National Violent Death Reporting System, 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2020.

Problem/Condition: In 2020, approximately 71,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2020. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics. Period Covered: 2020. Description of System: NVDRS collects data regarding violent deaths obtained from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner records, and law enforcement reports. This report includes data collected for violent deaths that occurred in 2020. Data were collected from 48 states (all states with exception of Florida and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Forty-six states had statewide data, two additional states had data from counties representing a subset of their population (35 California counties, representing 71% of its population, and four Texas counties, representing 39% of its population), and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had jurisdiction-wide data. NVDRS collates information for each violent death and links deaths that are related (e.g., multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident. Results: For 2020, NVDRS collected information on 64,388 fatal incidents involving 66,017 deaths that occurred in 48 states (46 states collecting statewide data, 35 California counties, and four Texas counties), and the District of Columbia. In addition, information was collected for 729 fatal incidents involving 790 deaths in Puerto Rico. Data for Puerto Rico were analyzed separately. Of the 66,017 deaths, the majority (58.4%) were suicides, followed by homicides (31.3%), deaths of undetermined intent (8.2%), legal intervention deaths (1.3%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm deaths (<1.0%). The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement.Demographic patterns and circumstances varied by manner of death. The suicide rate was higher for males than for females. Across all age groups, the suicide rate was highest among adults aged ≥85 years. In addition, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons had the highest suicide rates among all racial and ethnic groups. Among both males and females, the most common method of injury for suicide was a firearm. Among all suicide victims, when circumstances were known, suicide was most often preceded by a mental health, intimate partner, or physical health problem or by a recent or impending crisis during the previous or upcoming 2 weeks. The homicide rate was higher for males than for females. Among all homicide victims, the homicide rate was highest among persons aged 20-24 years compared with other age groups. Non-Hispanic Black (Black) males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. Among all homicide victims, the most common method of injury was a firearm. When the relationship between a homicide victim and a suspect was known, the suspect was most frequently an acquaintance or friend for male victims and a current or former intimate partner for female victims. Homicide most often was precipitated by an argument or conflict, occurred in conjunction with another crime, or, for female victims, was related to intimate partner violence. Nearly all victims of legal intervention deaths were male, and the legal intervention death rate was highest among men aged 35-44 years. The legal intervention death rate was highest among AI/AN males, followed by Black males. A firearm was used in the majority of legal intervention deaths. When a specific type of crime was known to have precipitated a legal intervention death, the type of crime was most frequently assault or homicide. When circumstances were known, the three most frequent circumstances reported for legal intervention deaths were as follows: the victim's death was precipitated by another crime, the victim used a weapon in the incident, and the victim had a substance use problem (other than alcohol use).Other causes of death included unintentional firearm deaths and deaths of undetermined intent. Unintentional firearm deaths were most frequently experienced by males, non-Hispanic White (White) persons, and persons aged 15-24 years. These deaths most frequently occurred while the shooter was playing with a firearm and were precipitated by a person unintentionally pulling the trigger. The rate of deaths of undetermined intent was highest among males, particularly among AI/AN and Black males, and among adults aged 30-54 years. Poisoning was the most common method of injury in deaths of undetermined intent, and opioids were detected in nearly 80% of decedents tested for those substances. Interpretation: This report provides a detailed summary of data from NVDRS on violent deaths that occurred in 2020. The suicide rate was highest among AI/AN and White males, whereas the homicide rate was highest among Black male victims. Intimate partner violence precipitated a large proportion of homicides for females. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary circumstances for multiple types of violent death. Public Health Action: Violence is preventable, and states and communities can use data to guide public health action. NVDRS data are used to monitor the occurrence of violence-related fatal injuries and assist public health authorities in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, policies, and practices to reduce and prevent violent deaths. For example, the Colorado Violent Death Reporting System (VDRS), Kentucky VDRS, and Oregon VDRS have used their VDRS data to guide suicide prevention efforts and generate reports highlighting where additional focus is needed. In Colorado, VDRS data were used to examine the increased risk for suicide among first and last responders in the state. Kentucky VDRS used local data to highlight how psychological and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic might increase risk for suicide, particularly among vulnerable populations. Oregon VDRS used their data to develop a publicly available data dashboard displaying firearm mortality trends and rates in support of the state's firearm safety campaign. Similarly, states participating in NVDRS have used their VDRS data to examine homicide in their state. Illinois VDRS, for example, found that state budget cuts were associated with notable increases in homicides among youths in Chicago. With an increase of participating states and jurisdictions, this report marks progress toward providing nationally representative data.

Firearm Homicides of US Children Precipitated by Intimate Partner Violence: 2003-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Examine characteristics associated with firearm homicides of children aged 0-17 years precipitated by intimate partner violence (IPV). METHODS: Data were from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Violent Death Reporting System (49 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico; 2003-2020). Logistic regression was used to examine associations between various characteristics and IPV among child firearm homicides. RESULTS: From 2003-2020, a total of 11 594 child homicides were captured in the National Violent Death Reporting System, of which 49.3% (n = 5716) were firearm homicides; 12.0% (n = 686) of child firearm homicides were IPV-related. Among IPV-related child firearm homicides, 86.0% (n = 590) were child corollary victims (ie, children whose death was connected to IPV between others); 14.0% (n = 96) were teens killed by a current or former dating partner. Child firearm homicides had greater odds of involving IPV when precipitated by conflict, crises, and cooccurring with the perpetrator's suicide compared with those without these characteristics. Over half of IPV-related firearm homicides of child corollary victims included homicide of the adult intimate partner, of which 94.1% were the child victim's mother. Child firearm homicides perpetrated by mothers' male companions (adjusted odds ratio, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 3.9-12.1) and children's fathers (adjusted odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 3.0-6.8) had greater odds of involving IPV compared with those perpetrated by mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors were associated with greater odds of child firearm homicides being IPV-related. Strategies promoting healthy intimate partner relationships starting at a young age; assessment of danger to children in IPV situations; strengthening economic supports for families; creating safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for children; and addressing social and structural inequities are important for preventing firearm homicides of children, including those involving IPV.

Surveillance for Violent Deaths - National Violent Death Reporting System, 42 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2019.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: In 2019, approximately 67,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2019. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics. PERIOD COVERED: 2019. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: NVDRS collects data regarding violent deaths obtained from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner records, and law enforcement reports. This report includes data collected for violent deaths that occurred in 2019. Data were collected from 39 states with statewide data (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), three states with data from counties representing a subset of their population (30 California counties, representing 57% of its population, and 47 Illinois counties and 40 Pennsylvania counties, representing at least 80% of their populations), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NVDRS collates information for each violent death and links deaths that are related (e.g., multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident. RESULTS: For 2019, NVDRS collected information on 50,374 fatal incidents involving 51,627 deaths that occurred in 42 states (39 states collecting statewide data, 30 California counties, 47 Illinois counties, and 40 Pennsylvania counties), and the District of Columbia. In addition, information was collected for 831 fatal incidents involving 897 deaths in Puerto Rico. Data for Puerto Rico were analyzed separately. Of the 51,627 deaths, the majority (64.1%) were suicides, followed by homicides (25.1%), deaths of undetermined intent (8.7%), legal intervention deaths (1.4%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm deaths (<1.0%). The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement. Demographic patterns and circumstances varied by manner of death. The suicide rate was higher for males than for females. Across all age groups, the suicide rate was highest among adults aged 45-54 years. In addition, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White (White) persons had the highest suicide rates among all racial and ethnic groups. Among males, the most common method of injury for suicide was a firearm, whereas poisoning was the most common method of injury among females. Among all suicide victims, suicide was most often preceded by a mental health, intimate partner, or physical health problem or by a recent or impending crisis during the previous or upcoming 2 weeks. The homicide rate was higher for males than for females. Among all homicide victims, the homicide rate was highest among persons aged 20-24 years compared with other age groups. Non-Hispanic Black (Black) males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. Among all homicide victims, the most common method of injury was a firearm. When the relationship between a homicide victim and a suspect was known, the suspect was most frequently an acquaintance or friend for male victims and a current or former intimate partner for female victims. Homicide most often was precipitated by an argument or conflict, occurred in conjunction with another crime, or, for female victims, was related to intimate partner violence. Nearly all victims of legal intervention deaths were male, and the legal intervention death rate was highest among men aged 25-29 years. The legal intervention death rate was highest among AI/AN males, followed by Black males. A firearm was used in the majority of legal intervention deaths. When a specific type of crime was known to have precipitated a legal intervention death, the type of crime was most frequently assault or homicide. The three most frequent circumstances reported for legal intervention deaths were as follows: the victim's death was precipitated by another crime, the victim used a weapon in the incident, and the victim had a mental health or substance use problem (other than alcohol use). Unintentional firearm deaths were most frequently experienced by males, White persons, and persons aged 15-24 years. These deaths most frequently occurred while the shooter was playing with a firearm and were precipitated by a person unintentionally pulling the trigger or mistakenly thinking the firearm was unloaded. The rate of deaths of undetermined intent was highest among males, particularly among Black and AI/AN males, and among adults aged 30-44 years. Poisoning was the most common method of injury in deaths of undetermined intent, and opioids were detected in nearly 80% of decedents tested for those substances. INTERPRETATION: This report provides a detailed summary of data from NVDRS on violent deaths that occurred in 2019. The suicide rate was highest among AI/AN and White males, whereas the homicide rate was highest among Black males. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary circumstances for multiple types of violent death. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Violence is preventable, and data can guide public health action. NVDRS data are used to monitor the occurrence of violence-related fatal injuries and assist public health authorities in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, policies, and practices to reduce and prevent violent deaths. For example, the New Hampshire Violent Death Reporting System (VDRS), Indiana VDRS, and Colorado VDRS have used their VDRS data to guide suicide prevention efforts and generate reports highlighting where additional focus is needed. In New Hampshire, VDRS data have been used to monitor the increase in suicide rates during 2014-2018 and guide statewide collaborative prevention efforts. Indiana VDRS used local data to demonstrate differences in suicide and other related mental health problems among Black persons and highlight a need for improved suicide awareness and culturally competent mental health care. The Colorado VDRS conducted geospatial and demographic analysis, considering local VDRS data with existing suicide prevention efforts and resources, to identify regions with high suicide rates regions and populations at high risk for suicide. Similarly, states participating in NVDRS have used their VDRS data to examine related to homicide in their state. In North Carolina for example, where homicide rates among AI/AN and Black persons were approximately 2.5 times higher than the statewide homicide rate, the North Carolina VDRS program aims to partner with historically Black colleges and universities in the state to train researchers to use VDRS data to address health equity issues in and around their immediate community.

Surveillance for Violent Deaths - National Violent Death Reporting System, 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, 2018.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: In 2018, approximately 68,000 persons died of violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 39 states the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2018. Results are reported by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of injury, and other selected characteristics. PERIOD COVERED: 2018. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: NVDRS collects data regarding violent deaths obtained from death certificates, coroner and medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports. This report includes data collected for violent deaths that occurred in 2018. Data were collected from 36 states with statewide data (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin), three states with data from counties representing a subset of their population (21 California counties, 28 Illinois counties, and 39 Pennsylvania counties), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NVDRS collates information for each death and links deaths that are related (e.g., multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident. RESULTS: For 2018, NVDRS collected information on 52,773 fatal incidents involving 54,170 deaths that occurred in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, information was collected on 880 fatal incidents involving 975 deaths in Puerto Rico. Data for Puerto Rico were analyzed separately. Of the 54,170 deaths, the majority (64.1%) were suicides, followed by homicides (24.8%), deaths of undetermined intent (9.0%), legal intervention deaths (1.4%) (i.e., deaths caused by law enforcement and other persons with legal authority to use deadly force acting in the line of duty, excluding legal executions), and unintentional firearm deaths (<1.0%). (The term "legal intervention" is a classification incorporated into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not denote the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances surrounding a death caused by law enforcement.) Demographic patterns and circumstances varied by manner of death. The suicide rate was higher among males than among females and was highest among adults aged 35-64 years and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White persons. The most common method of injury for suicide was a firearm among males and hanging, strangulation, or suffocation among females. Suicide was most often preceded by a mental health, intimate partner, or physical health problem, or a recent or impending crisis during the previous or upcoming 2 weeks. The homicide rate was highest among persons aged 20-24 years and was higher among males than females. Non-Hispanic Black males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group. The most common method of injury for homicide was a firearm. When the relationship between a homicide victim and a suspect was known, the suspect was most frequently an acquaintance or friend for male victims and a current or former intimate partner for female victims. Homicides most often were precipitated by an argument or conflict, occurred in conjunction with another crime, or, for female victims, were related to intimate partner violence. Homicide suspects were primarily male and the highest proportion were aged 25-44 years. When race and ethnicity information was known, non-Hispanic Black persons comprised the largest group of suspects overall and among those aged ≤44 years, and non-Hispanic White persons comprised the largest group of suspects among those aged ≥45 years. Almost all legal intervention deaths were experienced by males, and the legal intervention death rate was highest among males aged 30-34 years. Non-Hispanic AI/AN males had the highest legal intervention death rate, followed by non-Hispanic Black males. A firearm was used in the majority of legal intervention deaths. When a specific type of crime was known to have precipitated a legal intervention death, the type of crime was most frequently assault or homicide. The most frequent circumstances reported for legal intervention deaths were use of a weapon by the victim in the incident and a mental health or perceived substance use problem (other than alcohol use). Law enforcement officers who inflicted fatal injuries in the context of legal intervention deaths were primarily males aged 25-44 years. Unintentional firearm deaths were most frequently experienced by males, non-Hispanic White persons, and persons aged 15-24 years. These deaths most often occurred while the shooter was playing with a firearm and most frequently were precipitated by a person unintentionally pulling the trigger or mistakenly thinking that the firearm was unloaded. The rate of deaths of undetermined intent was highest among males, particularly among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic AI/AN males, and among persons aged 45-54 years. Poisoning was the most common method of injury in deaths of undetermined intent, and opioids were detected in approximately 80% of decedents tested for those substances. INTERPRETATION: This report provides a detailed summary of data from NVDRS on violent deaths that occurred in 2018. The suicide rate was highest among non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic White males, and the homicide rate was highest among non-Hispanic Black males. Mental health problems, intimate partner problems, interpersonal conflicts, and acute life stressors were primary circumstances for multiple types of violent death. Circumstances for suspects of homicide varied by age group and included having prior contact with law enforcement and involvement in incidents that were precipitated by another crime, intimate partner violence, and drug dealing or substance use. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: NVDRS data are used to monitor the occurrence of violence-related fatal injuries and assist public health authorities in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, policies, and practices to reduce and prevent violent deaths. For example, Arizona and Wisconsin used their state-level VDRS data to support suicide prevention efforts within their respective states. Wisconsin VDRS used multiple years of data (2013-2017) to identify important risk and protective factors and subsequently develop a comprehensive suicide prevention plan. Arizona VDRS partners with the Arizona Be Connected Initiative to provide customized community-level data on veteran suicide deaths in Arizona. Similarly, states participating in NVDRS have used their VDRS data to examine intimate partner violence-related deaths to support prevention efforts. For example, data from the South Carolina VDRS were used to examine intimate partner homicides that occurred in South Carolina during 2017. South Carolina VDRS found that 12% of all homicides that occurred in 2017 were intimate partner violence-related, with females accounting for 52% of intimate partner homicide-related victims. These data were shared with domestic violence prevention collaborators in South Carolina to bolster their efforts in reducing intimate partner violence-related deaths. In 2018, NVDRS data included four additional states compared with 2017, providing more comprehensive and actionable violent death information for public health efforts to reduce violent deaths.

Upstream ecological risks for overweight and obesity among African American youth in a rural town in the Deep South, 2007.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have focused on overweight and obesity among rural African American youth in the Deep South, despite disproportionately high rates in this group. In addition, few studies have been conducted to elucidate how these disparities are created and perpetuated within rural communities in this region. This descriptive study explores community-based risks for overweight and obesity among African American youth in a rural town in the Deep South. METHODS: We used ecological theory in conjunction with embodiment theory to explore how upstream ecological factors may contribute to risk of overweight and obesity for African American youth in a rural town in the Deep South. We conducted and analyzed in-depth interviews with African American community members who interact with youth in varying contexts (home, school, church, community). RESULTS: Participants most commonly stated that race relations, poverty, and the built environment were barriers to maintaining a healthy weight. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested the need for rural, community-based interventions that target obesity at multiple ecological levels and incorporate issues related to race, poverty, and the built environment. More research is needed to determine how disparities in obesity are created and perpetuated in specific community contexts.