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Public Concern About Violence, Firearms, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in California.
Kravitz-Wirtz, Nicole; Aubel, Amanda; Schleimer, Julia; Pallin, Rocco; Wintemute, Garen.
  • Kravitz-Wirtz N; University of California Firearm Violence Research Center and Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento.
  • Aubel A; University of California Firearm Violence Research Center and Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento.
  • Schleimer J; University of California Firearm Violence Research Center and Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento.
  • Pallin R; University of California Firearm Violence Research Center and Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento.
  • Wintemute G; University of California Firearm Violence Research Center and Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento.
JAMA Netw Open ; 4(1): e2033484, 2021 01 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1006371
ABSTRACT
Importance Violence is a significant public health problem that has become entwined with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objective:

To describe individuals' concerns regarding violence in the context of the pandemic, experiences of pandemic-related unfair treatment, prevalence of and reasons for firearm acquisition, and changes in firearm storage practices due to the pandemic. Design, Setting, and

Participants:

This survey study used data from the 2020 California Safety and Well-being Survey, a probability-based internet survey of California adults conducted from July 14 to 27, 2020. Respondents came from the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, an online research panel with members selected using address-based sampling methods. Responses were weighted to be representative of the adult population of California. Main Outcomes and

Measures:

Topics included worry about violence for oneself before and during the pandemic; concern about violence for someone else due to a pandemic-related loss; experiences of unfair treatment attributed to the pandemic; firearm and ammunition acquisition due to the pandemic; and changes in firearm storage practices due to the pandemic.

Results:

Of 5018 invited panel members, 2870 completed the survey (completion rate, 57%). Among respondents (52.3% [95% CI, 49.5%-55.0%] women; mean [SD] age, 47.9 [16.9] years; 41.9% [95% CI, 39.3%-44.6%] White individuals), self-reported worry about violence for oneself was significantly higher during the pandemic for all violence types except mass shootings, ranging from a 2.8 percentage point increase for robbery (from 65.5% [95% CI, 62.8%-68.0%] to 68.2% [95% CI, 65.6%-70.7%]; P = .008) to a 5.6 percentage point increase for stray bullet shootings (from 44.5% [95% CI, 41.7%-47.3%] to 50.0% [47.3%-52.8%]; P < .001). The percentage of respondents concerned that someone they know might intentionally harm themselves was 13.1% (95% CI, 11.5%-15.3%). Of those, 7.5% (95% CI, 4.5%-12.2%) said it was because the other person had experienced a pandemic-related loss. An estimated 110 000 individuals (2.4% [95% CI, 1.1%-5.0%] of firearm owners in the state) acquired a firearm due to the pandemic, including 47 000 new owners (43.0% [95% CI, 14.8%-76.6%] of those who had acquired a firearm). Of owners who stored at least 1 firearm in the least secure way, 6.7% (95% CI, 2.7%-15.6%) said they had adopted this unsecure storage practice in response to the pandemic. Conclusions and Relevance In this analysis of findings from the 2020 California Safety and Well-being Survey, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increases in self-reported worry about violence for oneself and others, increased firearm acquisition, and changes in firearm storage practices. Given the impulsive nature of many types of violence, short-term crisis interventions may be critical for reducing violence-related harm.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Anxiety / Violence / Social Discrimination / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: JAMA Netw Open Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Anxiety / Violence / Social Discrimination / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: JAMA Netw Open Year: 2021 Document Type: Article