Cross-sectional study of loss of life expectancy at different ages related to firearm deaths among black and white Americans.

Understanding the life years lost by assault and suicide due to firearms among white and black Americans can help us understand the race-specific and intent-specific firearm mortality burden and inform prevention programmes. The objective was to assess national and race-specific life expectancy loss related to firearms in the USA due to assault and suicide. We used firearm mortality data available from Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research to calculate the life expectancy loss between 2000 and 2016 separately for assaults and suicides among white and black Americans. The total national life expectancy loss due to firearms was 2.48 (2.23 whites, 4.14 blacks) years. The total life expectancy loss in years due to firearm assault was 0.95 (0.51 whites, 3.41 blacks) and suicide was 1.43 (1.62 whites, 0.60 blacks), respectively. Firearm life expectancy loss in years at birth, 20, 40 and 60 years of age was 0.29 (0.22 whites, 0.56 blacks), 0.25 (0.21 whites, 0.47 blacks), 0.09 (0.10 whites, 0.08 blacks) and 0.03 (0.03 whites, 0.01 blacks) years. National firearm life expectancy loss in days from 20 to 60 years declined by 79.5 (65.8 whites, 166.3 blacks); for assault by 37.5 (18.9 whites, 141.0 blacks) and suicides by 38.7 (43.9 whites, 20.3 blacks). Americans lose substantial years of life due to firearm injury. This loss in life years is characterised by a large racial gap by age and intent. Tailored prevention programmes are needed to reduce this loss and lessen the racial gaps.

Race and ethnicity, neighborhood poverty and pediatric firearm hospitalizations in the United States.

PURPOSE: To better understand the effects of race and/or ethnicity and neighborhood poverty on pediatric firearm injuries in the United States, we compared overall and intent-specific firearm hospitalizations (FH) with those of pedestrian motor vehicle crash hospitalizations (PMVH). METHODS: We used Nationwide Inpatient Sample data (1998-2011) among 0-15 year-olds in a 1:1 case-case study; 4725 FH and 4725 PMVH matched by age, year, and region. RESULTS: Risk of FH versus PMVH was 64% higher among black children, Odds ratio (OR) = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.44-1.87, as compared to white children (P < .0001); this risk did not vary by neighborhood poverty (P interaction = .52). Risk of homicide FH versus PMVH was 842% higher among black (OR = 8.42, 95% CI = 6.27-11.3), 452% higher among Hispanics (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 3.33-6.13) and 233% higher among other race (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.52-3.59) compared to white children. There was a lower risk for unintentional FH among black OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.62-0.87, Hispanics (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.49-0.74), and other (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.47-0.83) compared to whites. These intent-specific risks attributed to race did not vary by neighborhood affluence. CONCLUSIONS: Black children were at greater likelihood of FH compared to white children regardless of neighborhood economic status. Minority children had an increased likelihood of intentional FH and a decreased likelihood of unintentional FH as compared to white children irrespective of neighborhood income.