A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that children who survive firearm injuries are at a higher risk of violent reinjury if they live in neighborhoods with low Child Opportunity Index (COI) scores. The research, led by Samaa Kemal from Northwestern University, analyzed data from over 6,000 children treated for firearm injuries across 49 pediatric hospitals between 2016 and 2023. The study found that 1.7% of these children experienced another violent injury within a year, with the risk particularly high for adolescents aged 15 to 16, Black children, and those living in urban areas.
Kemal emphasized the importance of neighborhood-level social determinants of health in perpetuating these disparities. “For children returning to neighborhoods where key structural resources are difficult to access or simply do not exist, that road to healing and recovery becomes even more challenging,” she stated. The study utilized the COI, which assesses neighborhoods based on factors such as education, health, environment, and social and economic status. It found that 51.7% of reinjured children lived in communities with very low COI scores.
The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to strengthen neighborhoods and reduce the burden of firearm injuries on children and their communities. Kemal and her colleagues plan to further investigate which specific factors impact firearm injury the most, aiming to inform policymakers on effective initiatives to address these disparities.
See: “Violent reinjury in firearm-injured children linked to neighborhood factors” (April 3, 2025)