ABSTRACT

An American gun show
Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency

Background: Research suggests that access to firearms in the home increases the risk for violent death.

Purpose: To understand current estimates of the association between firearm availability and suicide or homicide.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were searched without limitations and a gray-literature search was performed on 23 August 2013.

Study Selection: All study types that assessed firearm access and outcomes between participants with and without firearm access. There were no restrictions on age, sex, or country.

Data Extraction: Two authors independently extracted data into a standardized, prepiloted data extraction form.

Data Synthesis: Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated, although published adjusted estimates were preferentially used. Summary effects were estimated using random- and fixed-effects models. Potential methodological reasons for differences in effects through subgroup analyses were explored. Data were pooled from 16 observational studies that assessed the odds of suicide or homicide, […]