Citation

Wintemute GJ, Teret SP, Kraus JF, Wright MW. Am. J. Public Health 1988; 78(7): 824-826.

Affiliation

Department of Family Practice, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3381960

PMCID

PMC1350343

Abstract

We report on the firearms used in 235 suicides in Sacramento County, California, during 1983-85. Handguns were used in 69 per cent of firearm suicides--65 per cent for males, 88 per cent for females--and in all such deaths among women ages 35 and older. We tested the hypothesis that the choice of firearms by persons committing suicide at home would passively reflect the reported prevalence of firearms by type in households in the region. Handguns were used more frequently (rate ratio 2.00; 95% CI = 1.68, 2.39), and rifles and shotguns less frequently than expected.