The Translational Efficiency of Linking Family and Household Members to Study and Intervene on the Ripple Effects of Trauma - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Rates of firearm injuries reached unprecedented levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, disproportionally represented women and children, and rates remain at historical high levels in 2023. Exposure to firearm injury is associated with increased adverse health outcomes and mental health needs, further compounding existing health and racial inequities. Prior research has focused on health outcomes and interventions at the individual level and community level, with less attention focused on family and household member’s health outcomes due to both methodological challenges and data limitations. Therefore, current health interventions may miss the “ripple effect” of traumatic health events. The lack of methods linking family and household members is a significant roadblock for clinical and translational science. Elucidating these methods could increase the ‘translational efficiency’ in studying the broader population health, the mechanisms, and impacts of one of the most pressing public health challenges – firearm injury – and identify opportunities for health interventions that mitigate adverse health outcomes. The central objectives of this proposal are 1) to develop methods to identify and link family and household members at the family and household level and 2) examine change in clinical care utilization, mental health, chronic conditions, and firearm injury among non- household family, household family members, and non-family household members of firearm injury survivors following the injury. To achieve this methodologic goal, we will leverage a unique longitudinal dataset of individually-linked data and residential addresses from clinical systems, public health, Medicaid, and police records in Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana from 2000 – 2022. The proposed study is focused on nonfatal firearm injury, as an extension of Dr. Lauren Magee’s KL2 project and research portfolio; however, the methodological approaches can be applied to a variety of vulnerable populations to identify opportunities for intervention across a variety of health outcomes. Findings will demonstrate the feasibility of linking family and household members at the family and household level using administrative data and will significantly extend our understanding of the racial and health inequities associated with exposure to firearm injury beyond the direct survivor to inform clinical and community interventions to prevent future morbidity and mortality. This proposal will also address a significant roadblock for clinical and translational science and continue Dr. Magee’s development as a scholar in translational science.
