Acceptability and feasibility of video-based firearm safety education in a Colorado emergency department for caregivers of adolescents in firearm-owning households

Abstract

BackgroundEasy firearm access increases injury risk among adolescents. We evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of improving knowledge of a 3 min safe firearm storage education video in the paediatric emergency department.MethodsWe conducted a single-centre block trial in a large paediatric emergency department (August 2020–2022). Participants were caregivers of adolescents (10–17 years) in firearm-owning households. First block participants (control) completed a baseline survey about child safety behaviours (including firearms). Second block participants (intervention) completed a baseline survey, watched the safe firearm storage video and evaluated acceptability. Participants completed a 3-month follow-up survey about firearm safety behaviours and knowledge recall. Demographic and clinical variables were compared between the intervention and control groups using Fisher’s exact and χ2tests. McNemar’s test was used to compare firearm storage behaviours at the initial and 3-month visit within each group.ResultsResearch staff approached 1264 caregivers; 371 consented to participate (29.4%) and 144 (38.8%) endorsed firearm ownership. There were 95 participants in the control group and 62 in the intervention group. Follow-up was lower in the intervention group (53.7% vs 37.1%, p=0.04). Among participants viewing the video, 80.3% liked the video and 50.0% felt they learnt something new from the video.ConclusionsVideo-based firearm education in a paediatric emergency department is acceptable among a population of caregivers of adolescents with household firearms. This is a higher-risk group that may uniquely benefit from consistent education in the paediatric emergency department. Further study with larger populations is needed to evaluate intervention effectiveness.Trial registrationThe study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05168878).