PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Boccio, Cashen
AU  - Jones, Melissa S
AU  - Semenza, Daniel
AU  - Jackson, Dylan B
TI  - Prevalence and correlates of handgun carrying and perceived ease of access among adolescents in Florida
AID  - 10.1136/ip-2024-045347
DP  - 2024 Sep 03
TA  - Injury Prevention
PG  - ip-2024-045347
4099  - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2024/09/03/ip-2024-045347.short
4100  - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2024/09/03/ip-2024-045347.full
AB  - Objective Adolescent firearm violence poses a serious public health concern. The aim of this study is to explore correlates of access to firearms and firearm carrying patterns among adolescents in 2022. While previous research has documented correlates and risk factors for firearm carrying, the majority of this research has relied on samples collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent shifts in national patterns of firearm violence.Methods We analysed data from the 2022 Florida Youth and Substance Use Survey (FYSAS) (N=41 768). Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between demographic, familial, temperamental, and behavioural factors and both ease of perceived firearm access and patterns of firearm carrying.Results The results suggest that gender, grade level, race, residential setting, having a parent in the military, delinquency, depression, bullying and substance use are associated with perceived firearm access. In addition, gender, grade level, residential setting, ease of firearm access, delinquency, substance use, and bullying are all associated with firearm carrying.Conclusions Our findings suggest a host of demographic features and behavioural factors are associated with both perceived ease of firearm access and patterns of firearm carrying. Implications of these findings for reducing access to firearms is discussed.Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. Data from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) is available by request from the Florida Department of Children and Families.