Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31387766›Full record

Trial reportSocial science & medicine (1982)2019

A randomized controlled trial of public messaging to promote safe firearm storage among U.S. military veterans.

Elizabeth Karras, Cara M Stokes, Sara C Warfield, Shannon K Barth, Robert M Bossarte

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Social science & medicine (1982), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Firearm leadership: Development, analysis, and application of a novel concept to message secure storage of firearms in the military.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Prevalence and characteristics associated with firearm ownership among low-income U.S. veterans.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Elizabeth KarrasCenter of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua VA, Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA. Electronic address: Elizabeth.Karras@va.gov.
Cara M StokesCenter of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua VA, Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Sara C WarfieldCenter of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua VA, Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Shannon K BarthCenter of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua VA, Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Robert M BossarteCenter of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua VA, Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA; Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA; Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Canandaigua VA Medical Center · USWest Virginia University · USUniversity of Rochester · US

Funding

West Virginia IDEA-CTRU54GM104942 · NIGMS · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · PI Laura F. Gibson · 2012 to 2026
$81.0M
NCIPC CDC HHS R49 CE001170NIGMS NIH HHS U54 GM104942
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe objectives of this study were to determine whether short-term exposure to firearm safety messaging significantly improved (1) firearm storage practices, and (2) attitudes of safe firearm storage behaviors among U.S. veterans, a group at elevated risk for firearm suicide.

designA three-arm, parallel-group RCT was conducted online in the U.S. nationwide from December 2015 to January 2016.

settingA national random sample of U.S. veterans (N = 358) was recruited from the GfK KnowledgePanel, a probability-based internet panel representative of U.S. adults. All study activities were administered online over a three-week study period.

interventionParticipants were randomized and exposed three times (once per week) to either (a) firearm safety message only (n = 115); (b) firearm safety and mental health promotion messages (n = 133); or (c) active control group exposed to mental health promotion message only (n = 110). Each message was less than two minutes long. MEASURES: Assessments were completed at baseline (pre-randomization) and at end-of-trial. Changes in awareness of risk for injuries, attitudes/beliefs related to safe storage practices, behavioral intentions, and storage practices were measured using self-reported surveys. Linear mixed effect models with weighted generalized estimating equations were used to test for exposure effects. Analyses were conducted February 2018.

resultsAnalyses restricted to those with baseline firearm access (n = 195) identified no significant changes for intentions or safe storage practices across exposure groups. At baseline, participants' attitudes and beliefs were generally supportive of safe firearm storage. The Firearm Safety message yielded small increases in agreement with the concept that secure storage is "important during emotional or stressful times" (0.36; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.64). Other significant changes in awareness and beliefs were found, but across all study conditions.

conclusionResults reinforce the critical need for considerable research and testing prior to the widespread implementation of public messages to increase the likelihood for desired exposure effects.

Indexed as

FirearmsPublic Service Announcements as TopicSafetyVeteransAdolescentAdultFemaleHealth PromotionHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedSuicideSuicide PreventionUnited StatesYoung AdultFirearm suicideHealth educationHealth promotionPublic health campaignSafe firearm storageU.S. veterans

Identifiers

PMID31387766
PMCPMC7561038
OpenAlexW2964646549

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.