Health Reports: Deaths involving firearms

The rate of deaths involving firearms declined by more than one-half between 1979 and 2002, according to a new report based on the most recent data available from the Canadian Mortality Data Base.

The report in the latest edition of Health Reports showed that 816 individuals — 767 males and 49 females — died from injuries related to firearms in 2002.

Among males, this represented a rate of 4.9 deaths for every 100,000 population, down from 10.6 in 1979. The rate for females fell from 1.2 deaths for every 100,000 population to 0.3.

In each year during this period, about four-fifths of firearms-related deaths were suicides. Homicides accounted for around 15% of such deaths, and about 4% were unintentional.

In 1979, the rate of deaths related to firearms was highest among young people aged 15 to 24. By 2002, the differences between age groups had largely disappeared for people aged 15 or older.

The risk of death from an injury related to firearms was a fraction of that in the United States. In 2000, the rate of homicide involving a gun in the United States was 3.8 for every 100,000 population, nearly eight times Canada's rate of 0.5.

In Canada, homicides accounted for 18% of deaths involving firearms in 2000, compared with 38% in the United States.

Decline in homicide rates involving firearms

Canada's rate of homicide involving firearms declined since 1979, mirroring a decrease in the overall homicide rate. However, the proportion of homicides in which a firearm was used remained fairly stable over the entire period at just under one-third.

A report based on police records indicates that handguns accounted for two-thirds of homicides involving firearms in 2002, up from about one-half during the 1990s. Rifles and shotguns accounted for one-quarter of all homicides involving firearms.

In 2002, 31 people were unintentionally killed by firearms, less than one-half of the total of 71 in 1979. Three of the victims in 2002 were younger than 15, compared with 16 in 1979. Another 3 were between 15 and 24 compared with 27 in 1979. Declines in death rates in these two age groups accounted for much of the drop in the overall rate of unintentional firearms-related deaths between 1979 and 2002.

Among all suicides committed throughout the 1980s, around one in three involved firearms. By 2002, this proportion had declined to only about one in six.

Geographic differences

The average annual rate of firearms-related deaths between 2000 and 2002 was higher in the three territories than in Canada overall. The rate for the territories was at least 10 deaths per 100,000 population, compared with the average of 2.6 for Canada.

Rates in several provinces also differed from the national rate. Rates were higher in New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Ontario's was lower at 1.7 per 100,000 population.

Among Canada's four largest metropolitan areas (Montréal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver) the only significant difference in the rate of firearms-related deaths was between Montréal and Toronto: 2.2 versus 1.3 deaths per 100,000 population.

The report "Deaths involving firearms" is now available for free online. For more information about this report, contact Kathryn Wilkins (613-951-1769; Kathryn.Wilkins@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Other articles

This edition of Health Reports also contains articles examining health issues among full-time students who work for pay; the proportion of Canadians who had consultations with doctors and nurses; the prevalence of obesity among various ethnic groups; and hearing problems among seniors.

Health issues among students who work

The study, "Weekly work hours and health-related behaviours in full-time students," was based on data from the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and the National Population Health Survey from 1994/95 to 2002/03.

Students aged 15 to 17 who worked even a modest number of hours each week had higher odds of drinking alcohol regularly, and occasional heavy drinking, compared with those who had not worked.

In addition, students working any number of hours had higher odds of becoming regular drinkers within two years. Longer working hours were also associated with higher odds of smoking.

On the other hand, employed students had higher odds of being physically active in their leisure time, after the impact of age, household income and urban/rural residence were taken into account.

In 2003, an estimated 63% of full-time high school students aged 15 to 17 had worked for pay in part-time or full-time jobs in the 12 months before their CCHS interview.

For more information on this article, contact Gisèle Carrière (604-666-5907; Gisele.Carriere@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division, Western Region and Northern Territories.

Shift to telephone help-lines for consulting nurses

In 2003, a large majority of Canadians aged 12 and older, about 20.4 million people or 77% of the population, reported that they had consulted a family physician or general practitioner in the past 12 months. These estimates appear in "Consultations with doctors and nurses."

Over the same 12 months, 11% of the population (2.9 million people) had consulted a nurse. The most recent consultation with a nurse was most likely by telephone. Just two years earlier, a client's home had been the most likely place.

This shift to telephone nursing consultations reflects the implementation in some jurisdictions of "telephone triage" services that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information on this article, contact Gisèle Carrière (604-666-5907; gisele.carriere@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division, Western Region and Northern Territories.

The other two articles in this issue of Health Reports are based on the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey. For information on "Overweight, obesity and ethnicity," contact Mark Tremblay (613-951-4385; mark.tremblay@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division. For information on "Hearing problems among seniors," contact Wayne J. Millar (613-951-1631; wayne.millar@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Complete articles appear in the June 2005 issue of Health Reports, Vol. 16, No. 4 (82-003-XIE, $17/$48; 82-003-XPE, $22/$63), which is now available.

For more information about Health Reports, contact Mary Sue Devereaux (613-951-4381; mary_sue.devereaux@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.