A Survey of Parents’ Firearm Access in Chicago and Implications for Pediatrician Counseling

Background Firearm injury is the leading cause of death among children living across the US, but the intent and the prevalence of firearm deaths vary geographically, as does firearm ownership and access to guns. To better understand geographic differences related to the presence of firearms in the home and access to firearms outside the home, we aimed to gather local data from families across Chicago that could then be used to tailor pediatrician counseling on one of the most serious health issues that youth face. Methods We surveyed parents and caregivers of youth who reside in each of Chicago’s 77 community areas as part of the Voices of Child Health in Chicago Parent Panel Survey. Two questions about access to firearms in the home and community setting were included in a survey that was disseminated in two waves from November 2020-February 2021 and May-July 2022 via web or phone. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were conducted for data analysis. Results Over 250 parents answered both survey questions regarding firearm access. Nearly 1 in 5 parents (18.4%), and almost 80% (21/27) of male parents, reported access to firearms either in the home, in the community, or both. Living in a higher income household was associated with more access to firearms as compared to living in a lower income household (p=0.03). Conclusion Local data on firearm access from across the large urban city of Chicago suggest that firearms are present in many households and accessible outside of the home by parents and caregivers of children, which suggests that these youth may also have the same access. This data, in conjunction with data on types of firearm deaths—homicide, suicide, and unintentional death—among youth living in Chicago can be used by pediatricians to help guide the content of their health promotion counseling in the clinical setting. Preventing youth firearm deaths is a complex health issue that requires a multilevel (individual, community, policy) and multisector (clinical, public health, criminal justice) approach. Collecting and applying local data on firearm access is one step toward improving discussions with families and youth about firearm safety and preventing firearm violence among youth.