Beyond the Index: Family Fragility as a Geographic Risk Factor for Pediatric Firearm Injuries

In brief

This study examines family fragility—disruption of family structures within geographic areas—as a novel risk factor for pediatric firearm hospitalizations, beyond traditional social determinants of health metrics. Findings suggest family structure stability may be an underrecognized yet actionable target for reducing firearm injury disparities in children.

• Family fragility (disruption of family structures) may be an underrecognized geographic driver of pediatric firearm injury disparities.
• Traditional SDOH metrics alone may have limited explanatory power for predicting pediatric firearm hospitalizations.
• Geographic family structure stability should be considered alongside other social determinants when addressing firearm injury prevention.
• Population-level family fragility patterns correlate with pediatric firearm hospitalization rates independent of other SDOH factors.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.