Background: Gun violence remains a public health concern in the United States, with Jackson, Mississippi, ranking among the highest in gun violence rates. Understanding how sociodemographic factors influence clinical outcomes is essential for improving care delivery and resource allocation. Purpose: This study examined the association between age, education, employment, and insurance status with hospital length of stay (HLOS) and discharge disposition among adult male and female firearm injury patients residing in Jackson, Mississippi. Methods: Data were obtained from the electronic health records of adults (≥ 18 years) presenting to the University of Mississippi Medical Center emergency department between 2018 and 2021. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models assessed associations between sociodemographic factors and outcomes. Results: Among 835 patients (Mage = 32.4 years), males with at least a high school education had shorter HLOS (β = -4.042, 95% CI -6.839, -1.246). Unemployed males had lower odds of being discharged home (OR = 0.573, 95% CI 0.332, 0.907), and uninsured females had lower odds of discharge home compared to insured females (OR = 0.229, 95% CI 0.066, 0.801). Conclusions: Socioeconomic disparities intersect with gender to influence firearm injury outcomes, underscoring the need to integrate social drivers of health into trauma care and community interventions.
Erinne et al. (Fri,) studied this question.