A core element of the Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injuries initiative is funding research pilot studies to stimulate interest and engagement in firearm research within the University of Michigan School of Public Health community. Unlike traditional pilot mechanisms, these awards are intentionally flexible to address impediments to transitioning to firearm research. This allows us to identify creative opportunities for researchers to join the initiative and support research connections to firearm injury prevention.
Pilot Study #1
Examining the Association between Firearm Violence and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Wenchu Pan
Doctoral Student, Biostatistics
Co-Principal Investigator - Dr. Lu Wang
Associate Chair for Research, Biostatistics
Professor, Biostatistics
C0-Principal Investigator - Esther Lee
Ph.D. Candidate, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Co-Investigator
This pilot study will use secondary data analysis of crime and health statistics from 2017-2022, provided by the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Health and Human
Services, to examine the correlation between firearm crime and cardiovascular mortality across six Michigan counties with varying demographics and geographies. The pilot study aims to provide insights into how firearm violence influences cardiovascular disease mortality in different community settings.
Pilot Study #2
Longitudinal Trends and Associations of Firearm Carriage, Firearm Victimization, and Substance Use: Insights from the Monitoring the Future Study.
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Esther Lee, MPH
Ph.D. Candidate, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Principal Investigator - Megan E. Patrick, MS, PhD
Associate Director, Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research.
Co-Investigator - Justin Heinze, MA, PhD
Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Co-Investigator - Elyse Thulin, MSc, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention
Co-Investigator - Yvonne Terry-McElrath
Research Area Specialist Lead, Institute for Social Research
Data Analyst
This pilot study will utilize the longitudinal panel data from the Monitoring the Future Study to examine the relationship between firearm-related victimization in adolescence and alcohol and other substance use outcomes throughout the lifespan. Both individual and community-level factors (e.g., crime rates and socioeconomic status) will be analyzed to understand the variability in adolescents' trajectories, allowing for a nuanced understanding of how patterns of substance use change over time. Additionally, the study will investigate potential mediators, such as sleep problems, to elucidate the relationship between firearm-related victimization and substance use outcomes.
Pilot Study #1
Designing and deploying community firearm disposal facilities
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Douglas Wiebe, Ph.D.
Professor, Epidemiology
Principal Investigator
This pilot study is co-funded by Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injuries, and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. This project will use principles of socially-engaged design to bring together community stakeholders, practitioners, and policymakers with designers and engineers to develop solutions to help people dispose of unwanted firearms. This work is integral to developing safe, sustainable and scalable solutions for community firearm disposal.
Pilot Study #2
Identifying risk factors for intimate partner homicide among transgender and gender diverse individuals
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Sarah Peitzmeier, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Principal Investigator - April M. Zeoli, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Health Management and Policy
Co-Investigator
This project plans to use data on intimate partner homicide (IPH) of transgender individuals in the National Violent Death Reporting System to (1) describe the circumstances surrounding IPHs of trans individuals and (2) identify potential risk factors unique to the experiences of trans individuals that are not already included in the Danger Assessment (a validated tool used to predict IPH for cisgender women in abusive relationships). This work will inform an eventual adaptation of the Danger Assessment for trans individuals.
Pilot Study #3
Exploring real estate factors as predictors of gun violence
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Roshanak Mehdipanah, PhD, MS
Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Principal Investigator - Douglas Wiebe, Ph.D.
Professor, Epidemiology
Co-Investigator
This pilot study is co-funded by Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injuries, and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. This study plans to explore what housing instability factors (e.g. tenure status, housing sale transactions, and foreclosures) predict gun violence in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.
Pilot Study #1
Exploring factors related to firearm violence among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Kristi Gamarel, PhD, EdM
John G. Searle Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity
Principal Investigator - Gary Harper, PhD, MPH
Professor, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Co-Investigator - Laura Jadwin-Cakmak, MPH
Staff, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Co-Investigator - Ini-Abasi Ubong, MPH
Staff, Health Behavior and Health Equity
Co-Investigator
This pilot study is co-funded by Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injuries, the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, and the Office of the VP of Research at the University of Michigan. Dr. Gamarel and her team propose to fill gaps in understanding gun violence and firearm injury prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color by identifying the specific structural, social, organizational, and psychological factors that may influence gun violence and firearm injury prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color in Detroit.
Pilot Study #2
The Effects of School Shootings on Concealed Carry Licenses and Firearm Background Checks
Michigan Public Health Pilot Study Investigators
- Susan Parker, MPP, MS
PhD candidate, Health Management and Policy
Co-Principal Investigator - Anjelica Gangaram, MA
PhD candidate, Health Management and Policy
Co-Principal Investigator
Due to the scarcity of firearm funding and firearm data availability, little is known about how experiencing violence affects firearm acquisition and carrying behavior. Thus, Susan Parker and Anjelica Gangaram will conduct a difference-in-differences study of the effects of school shootings on three important outcomes: 1) firearm sales, 2) concealed carry license acquisition, and 3) firearm hospital emergency and inpatient admissions using unique, newly available data.