Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors Influence Perceived Community Needs and Risk Factors for Firearm Violence in Mississippi

Authors

• Masoumeh Karimi, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Matthew Morris, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterFollow
• Xiaoshan Gordy, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Matthew Kutcher, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Leila Seidfaraji, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Michelle Brassfield, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Erin Dehon, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Alyscia Severance, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Rukia Lumumba, The People's Advocacy InstituteFollow
• Fredrick Womack, Operation Good FoundationFollow
• Lei Zhang, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow

Keywords

firearms violence, survivor needs, risk factors, community

Word Count

4342

Document Type

Research Studies

Abstract

Background: The burden of firearm-related injuries and deaths is not borne equally across sociodemographic groups. The present study investigated the perceived needs and risk factors of firearm related injuries and mortality across gender, education, and income levels through a quantitative needs assessment completed by community members and firearm injury survivors living in the greater Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area.

Methods: A total of 93 participants including gunshot wound patients, survivors and community members who have been recruited through community organizations completed the needs assessment survey collecting data on demographic information, firearm exposure, substance use, community exposure to crime and violence, needs of firearm injury survivors and their families, and risk factors for firearm violence.

Results: Females, participants with higher education and higher annual income reported significantly higher perceived needs compared to male participants, those with lower levels of education and lower annual income in majority of needs. A similar pattern was found across gender, education and income levels in perceived risk factors.

Conclusion: Community-based prevention and intervention programs have played a key role in strategies to reduce violent crime. The MS-VIP program is developed to introduce interventions rooted in the community and focused on broader systems, ensuring that all members can benefit.

Recommended Citation

Karimi, M., Morris, M., Gordy, X., Kutcher, M., Seidfaraji, L., Brassfield, M., Dehon, E., Severance, A., Lumumba, R., Womack, F., & Zhang, L. (2026). Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors Influence Perceived Community Needs and Risk Factors for Firearm Violence in Mississippi. Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 6(1), 16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2996-6833.1134