Online Program

332637
Examining the Rates of Violence Related Injuries Among African American Males Ages 18-45 in Metropolitan Atlanta Who Have Been Admitted to a Level I Trauma Center for Gunshot Wounds from 2008-2013


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Fahruk Akinleye, BS, Master of Public Health Program, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Elaine Archie-Booker, EdD, RN, ICPS, Master of Public Health Program, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Gemechu Gerbi, PhD, MSc, Master of Public Health Program, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Omar Danner, MD, FACS, MSM Department Of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Stephanie Miles-Richardson, DVM, PhD, Master of Public Health Program, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
background: Violence related injuries (VRI) are a major public health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), homicide is the 11th leading cause of deaths and the third leading cause of deaths among the population aged 15-24 years old.

objective: The objective of this study is to assess factors associated with VRIs in Metropolitan Atlanta.

methods: Data were obtained from a Level I trauma center located in metropolitan Atlanta, GA. De-identified variables from the dataset include: gender, race/ethnicity, age, county codes, type of VRIs, and year of violence. All analyses were conducted utilizing SAS version 9.2.

results: Of the total number of patients (n=2,859), the majority were male (89%), African American (80%), and between the ages of 20-40 (61%). The majority of patients (55%) were admitted to the hospital for gunshots followed by assault (33%) and stab wounds (12%).

conclusion: Similar to national violence injury data, statistically significant findings were observed between African American males and all VRIs. Policy makers may consider targeting interventions to high risk groups, particularly African American males. Programs that address mentorship and law enforcement have been shown to be effective in reducing gun violence. Further research is needed to identify interrelated factors that are associated with gun violence.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify differences between violent related injuries from the data obtained from a level 1 trauma center

Keyword(s): African American, Violence & Injury Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Master of public health (MPH) candidate at Morehouse School of Medicine with two years of public health education, research, and community experience serving underserved populations. I have presented other research studies at other conferences such as the National Conference on Health Disparities (NCHD) and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). My health interests include injury control, violence and violence prevention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.