Demographic, Household, and Regional Factors Associated With Firearm Access in a U.S. Nationally Representative Sample of Emerging Adults Aged 18-29 Years.

INTRODUCTION

Firearm-related injuries among young adults represent a critical public health crisis in the U.S. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive descriptive portrait of firearm access among emerging adults (aged 18-29 years) by examining the intersection of demographic, household, and regional factors, thereby identifying specific populations to inform targeted injury prevention strategies.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional online survey administered to a nationally representative sample of U.S. emerging adults aged 18-29 years in January 2021. The final sample included 1,077 participants. Current firearm access, demographic factors, and household and regional characteristics were assessed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess factors associated with firearm access. Logistic regression was used to understand the combined effects of demographic, household, and regional factors associated with firearm access.

RESULTS

Multiracial, White, cisgender male, married, and Midwestern and Southern emerging adult participants reported higher odds of firearm access. After controlling for other variables, Black/African American, Latino/a, Asian, and sexual minority emerging adults had significantly lower odds of firearm access than White heterosexual peers. Married emerging adults, those in rural areas, and those in the Midwest and South had increased odds compared with those who were nonmarried, those living in urban and suburban areas, and those living in other U.S. regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Demographic factors associated with firearm access include race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, urbanicity, and U.S. geographic region. Firearm access among emerging adults is significantly influenced by the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, and geographic region. By providing a multidimensional descriptive portrait of these differences, these findings suggest tailoring public health interventions to the unique social and environmental contexts of emerging adults. Future studies on the social and structural determinants of subgroup differences are needed within the emerging adult population.