TY - JOUR
T1 - Firearm ownership and acquisition in California
T2 - Findings from the 2018 California Safety and Well-being Survey
AU - Kravitz-Wirtz, Nicole
AU - Pallin, Rocco
AU - Miller, Matthew
AU - Azrael, Deborah
AU - Wintemute, Garen J.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Objective: To describe the prevalence of and factors associated with firearm ownership; the types, subtypes and quantity of firearms owned; and when, where and why firearms were acquired in California. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a state-representative, probability-based, internet survey of California adults was conducted in September-October 2018 (n=2558; completion rate 49%). Household firearm ownership was ascertained for all respondents; personal firearm ownership was ascertained only among respondents who reported living in a home with firearms; and information on the types and quantity of firearms owned and details about recently acquired firearms came from firearm owners only. Findings: Roughly one in four (25%, 95% CI 22% to 28%) California adults live in a home with a firearm, including 4.2 million adults - 14% (95% CI 13% to 16%) of the adult population - who personally own a firearm. These owners collectively own an estimated 19.9 million firearms (8.9 million handguns). Approximately half (48%, 95% CI 34% to 61%) of the firearm stock in California is owned by the 10% (95% CI 6% to 14%) of owners who own 10 or more firearms, though more than half (54%, 95% CI 47% to 62%) of owners in the state own only one or two firearms. Most (69%, 95% CI 63% to 75%) owners purchased their last firearm from a firearm retailer, usually a handgun purchased primarily for protection against people. Conclusion: This study provides the most detailed and up-to-date information available on firearm ownership and acquisition in California. Results can inform firearm violence prevention efforts and public health, safety and policy development in California and nationally.
AB - Objective: To describe the prevalence of and factors associated with firearm ownership; the types, subtypes and quantity of firearms owned; and when, where and why firearms were acquired in California. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of a state-representative, probability-based, internet survey of California adults was conducted in September-October 2018 (n=2558; completion rate 49%). Household firearm ownership was ascertained for all respondents; personal firearm ownership was ascertained only among respondents who reported living in a home with firearms; and information on the types and quantity of firearms owned and details about recently acquired firearms came from firearm owners only. Findings: Roughly one in four (25%, 95% CI 22% to 28%) California adults live in a home with a firearm, including 4.2 million adults - 14% (95% CI 13% to 16%) of the adult population - who personally own a firearm. These owners collectively own an estimated 19.9 million firearms (8.9 million handguns). Approximately half (48%, 95% CI 34% to 61%) of the firearm stock in California is owned by the 10% (95% CI 6% to 14%) of owners who own 10 or more firearms, though more than half (54%, 95% CI 47% to 62%) of owners in the state own only one or two firearms. Most (69%, 95% CI 63% to 75%) owners purchased their last firearm from a firearm retailer, usually a handgun purchased primarily for protection against people. Conclusion: This study provides the most detailed and up-to-date information available on firearm ownership and acquisition in California. Results can inform firearm violence prevention efforts and public health, safety and policy development in California and nationally.
KW - firearm
KW - public health
KW - surveys
KW - violence
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U2 - 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043372
DO - 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043372
M3 - Article
C2 - 31806674
AN - SCOPUS:85076310539
JO - Injury Prevention
JF - Injury Prevention
SN - 1353-8047
ER -