Ten-item score identifies young adults with past six-month firearm violence<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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MONDAY, April 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The SaFETy score, a clinical screening tool specific to firearm violence, can identify young adults with past six-month firearm violence, according to a research letter published online April 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jason E. Goldstick, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined the association between the 10-point SaFETy score and past six-month self-reported firearm violence among young adults, aged 18 to 24 years, presenting to emergency departments in three cities.<\/p>\n A total of 1,506 young adults were enrolled; 1,483 had data on past six-month firearm violence, and 5.9 percent reported positively. The researchers found that the mean SaFETy scores were 4.7 and 0.9 for those with and without past six-month firearm violence, respectively. Those with SaFETy scores of 0, 1 to 5, and 6+ had past six-month firearm violence rates of 0.7, 8.9, and 34.7 percent, respectively. Trends were similar for firearm victimization and aggression. Individuals with a SaFETy score of 1 to 5 and 6+ had 7.7 and 26.2 percent higher prevalence rates of past six-month firearm violence, respectively, compared with those with a score of 0, after adjustment for age, gender, race, site, and violence-related emergency department utilization.<\/p>\n “This cross-sectional analysis suggests the SaFETy score may be an effective, and less intrusive, way to ascertain persons with firearm violence history,” the authors write.<\/p>\n