Firearm Injury, Injuries, Safety Issues
Conditions
Brief summary
Firearms injuries present a major pediatric public health challenge, killing \>800 children ages 0-15 annually and leading to lifelong disability among \>1000 survivors. About ⅓ of firearms injuries to children under age 15 are due to unintentional causes rather than suicide or homicide. The investigators propose development and evaluation of ShootSafe, an innovative, engaging, and educational website accessible by smartphone, tablet or computer that engages children to learn firearms safety. ShootSafe extends existing programs to achieve 3 primary goals: a) teach children knowledge and skills they need to hunt, shoot, and use firearms safely; b) help children learn and hone critical cognitive skills of impulse control and hypothetical thinking needed to use firearms safely; and c) alter children's perceptions about their own vulnerability and susceptibility to firearms-related injuries, the severity of those injuries, and their perceived norms about peer behavior surrounding firearms use. ShootSafe will accomplish these goals through a combination of interactive games plus podcast videos delivered by peer actors (impactful testimonials about firearms injuries/deaths they experienced) and experts (wisdom & experience from trusted role models). The website will also incorporate brief messaging to parents, who will absorb key lessons and reinforce them with their children. The website will be evaluated through a randomized controlled trial with 162 children ages 10-12, randomly assigning children to engage in the ShootSafe website or an active control website on child nutrition. The investigators will incorporate sub-aims to evaluate changes in children's (a) knowledge, (b) cognitive skills in impulse control and hypothetical thinking, (c) perceptions about firearms safety, and (d) simulated behavior when handling, storing and transporting firearms. All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-month follow-up assessment to evaluate retention. Training will comprise two 30-minute sessions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALfirearms safety
interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children firearms, hunting and shooting safety
BEHAVIORALnutrition
interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children about nutrition and wellbeing
Sponsors
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
10 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* children ages 10-12 years * English-speaking child and parent * Experience or exposure to firearms in their homes or through engagement in hunting or shooting
Exclusion criteria
* disabilities that prohibit participants from valid understanding of or participation in the experimental protocol * siblings of enrolled child
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Knowledge Items Answered Correctly | 1 week after intervention completed | firearms safety knowledge scale (10 items, minimum value 0 and maximum value 10). Higher scores indicate greater knowledge. |
| Risky Behavior in Simulated Hunting Scenario | 1 week after intervention completed | Number of simulated situations when it was dangerous to shoot the toy firearm and the child took shots |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Firearms Safety Children will spend two 45-minute sessions engaged on ShootSafe, an internet-based training program on firearms safety.
firearms safety: interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children firearms, hunting and shooting safety | 83 |
| Nutrition Children will spend two 45-minute sessions engaged in vHappy, an internet-based training program on nutrition and wellbeing.
nutrition: interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children about nutrition and wellbeing | 80 |
| Total | 163 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Firearms Safety | Total | Nutrition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 11.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.88 | 11.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.83 | 11.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.78 |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Chose not to report or missing | 2 Participants | 5 Participants | 3 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Hispanic or Latinx | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity not Hispanic or Latinx | 80 Participants | 157 Participants | 77 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race African-American/Black | 24 Participants | 46 Participants | 22 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race Asian-American | 0 Participants | 2 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race Chose not to report or missing | 1 Participants | 3 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race Native American/American Indian/Alaskan Native | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Race White/Caucasian | 57 Participants | 111 Participants | 54 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 83 participants | 163 participants | 80 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 29 Participants | 63 Participants | 34 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 54 Participants | 100 Participants | 46 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 83 | 0 / 80 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 83 | 0 / 80 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 83 | 0 / 80 |
Outcome results
Primary
Number of Knowledge Items Answered Correctly
firearms safety knowledge scale (10 items, minimum value 0 and maximum value 10). Higher scores indicate greater knowledge.
Time frame: 1 week after intervention completed
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms Safety | Number of Knowledge Items Answered Correctly | 8.2 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
| Nutrition | Number of Knowledge Items Answered Correctly | 6.2 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
Primary
Risky Behavior in Simulated Hunting Scenario
Number of simulated situations when it was dangerous to shoot the toy firearm and the child took shots
Time frame: 1 week after intervention completed
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms Safety | Risky Behavior in Simulated Hunting Scenario | 1.8 scenarios | Standard Deviation 0.2 |
| Nutrition | Risky Behavior in Simulated Hunting Scenario | 2.9 scenarios | Standard Deviation 0.2 |