Characteristics and results of studies promoting safe firearm storage
| Investigators | Study design | Sample | Intervention | Outcome | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grossman et al (2000)13 | Randomized controlled trial | Families visiting a staff model health maintenance organization in Washington (n=1295) | Control group → usual practice Intervention group without gun → counseling and pamphlet Intervention group with gun → counseling, safe storage information packet, and storage device coupon | Changes in self reported events: (1) acquisition of safe storage device, (2) removal of gun from home, and (3) acquisition of guns | No significant differences between intervention and control groups in: (1) rate of acquisition of new guns (2) removal of guns |
| Coyne-Beasley et al (2001)14 | One group, before and after | Adult gun owners in North Carolina (n=112) | Tailored education message by health professional, gun safety information packet, and free cable gun lock distribution | Self reported firearm storage practices | (1) Those who stored gun a locked compartment increased (p<0.05) (2) Those who reported using gun locks increased (p<0.05) (3) Participants with children were more likely to store gun safely after counseling (p<0.05) |
| Horn (1999)15 | One group, before and after | Adult gun owners in Alaska (n=40) | Distribution of 1 gun safe and 1 trigger lock per household in association with safety message | Firearm storage practices assessed at unannounced home visit with visual inspection by author | (1) 78% (29 of 37) of participants were using the gun safe correctly to store firearms (2) 30% of trigger locks were being utilized by participants |
| Brent et al (2000)16 | One group, before and after | Parents of adolescents with major depression in Pennsylvania (n=106) | Education message about the risk of firearms in home and recommendations for removal and safe storage | Rates of gun removal and gun acquisition | (1) Of those who had guns at intake, 26.9% reported removing them by the end of the acute trial (2) Of those who did not have guns at intake, 17.1% reported acquiring them over 2 year follow up |
| Oatis et al (1999)17 | One group, before and after | Parents of pediatric patients at an urban pediatric practice in the Midwest (n=1617) | Educational message based on STOP program of the American Academy of Pediatrics | Self reported change in gun ownership and firearm storage methods | (1) Gun ownership decreased after the intervention (p=0.1) (2) Handgun ownership decreased (p=0.1) (3) Long gun ownership decreased (p=0.8) (4) Storing gun outside of a locked container did not change (p=1.0) (5) Keeping any gun loaded decreased (p=0.3) |
| Kruesi et al (1999)18 | One group, after only | Adults whose children made an emergency department visit for mental health assessment at a rural Midwestern hospital (n=103) | Means restricted education to limit youth access to lethal means for suicide | Self report of caretaker action to limit access to gun, that is, locking gun in a locked compartment or with trigger lock, or removing gun from the home | (1) 5 of 8 adults who had firearm in home took action to limit access (p≤0.05) (2) 2 of 8 disposed of the gun (p≤0.05) (3) 3 of 8 locked up the gun (p≤0.05) |
| Coyne-Beasley and Johnson (2001)19 | One group, after only | Law enforcement officers in the South (n=103) | Free keyed cable gun locks | Self reported use of gun lock | 65% reported they were not using the gun lock they collected |