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Trends in Pediatric Firearm-Related Encounters during the COVID-19 Pandemic by Age Group, Race/Ethnicity, and Schooling Mode in Tennessee (preprint)
medrxiv; 2023.
Preprint
in English
| medRxiv | ID: ppzbmed-10.1101.2023.03.17.23287413
ABSTRACT
Purpose Increases in pediatric firearm-related injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic may be due to changes in where children and adolescents spent their time. This paper examines changes in the frequency of pediatric firearm-related encounters as a function of schooling mode overall and by race/ethnicity and age group at a large trauma center through 2021. Methods We use data from a large pediatric and adult trauma center in Tennessee from January 2018 to December 2021 (N=211 encounters) and geographically linked schooling mode data. We use Poisson regressions to estimate smoothed monthly pediatric firearm-related encounters as a function of schooling mode overall and stratified by race and age. Results Compared to pre-pandemic, we find a 42% increase in pediatric encounters per month during March 2020 to August 2020, when schools were closed, and a 23% increase in encounters after schools returned to in-person instruction. Effects of schooling mode are heterogeneous by race. Encounters increased among non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents across all periods relative to pre-pandemic. Among non-Hispanic white children and adolescents, encounters increased during the closure period and decreased on return to in-person instruction. Effects of schooling mode are also heterogeneous by age. Relative to pre-pandemic, pediatric firearm-related encounters increased 205% for children aged 5 to 11 and 69% for adolescents aged 12 to 15 during the school closure period. Conclusion COVID-19-related changes to school instruction mode in 2020 and 2021 are associated with changes in the frequency and composition of pediatric firearm-related encounters at a major trauma center in Tennessee.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Preprints
Database:
medRxiv
Language:
English
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Preprint
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