Non-fatal firearm injuries in Chicago: description and analysis by neighbourhood health equity zone

BACKGROUND: Firearm injuries are a leading cause of death, and Chicago is an epicentre of firearm violence with a firearm homicide rate four times the US average; prior studies have focused more on fatal firearm violence rather than non-fatal firearm violence (NFFV). We sought to explore NFFV by examining accidental and assault firearm injury trends in the city of Chicago through the lens of healthy Chicago equity zones (HCEZ), distinct geographic areas designated to address health inequities across neighbourhoods. METHODS: tests were used to determine associations between demographic characteristics and the six HCEZs. RESULTS: There were 8348 NFFV injury hospital encounters in Chicago during the study period. Most NFFV injuries were related to accidental discharges (n=5259, 62.8%). The majority were aged 18-34 years (n=5030, 60.0%) and Black (n=6132, 73.5%). There was a significant association between HCEZ and NFFV injuries for both assault and accidental discharge intents (p