Publication Date: June 2010
What does it say?
Researchers, including epidemiologist Loren Lieb, who volunteers as Vice President of the Brady Campaign California Chapters, measured the impact of homicide using the statistic “life expectancy” instead of Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL), homicide counts, or homicide rates. Life expectancy is able to account for population trends and for the risk of death among competing causes, unlike YPLL or mortality rates.
Using this method, the researchers found that homicide was estimated to reduce life expectancy by 2.1 years for black males in Los Angeles County. In some low-income urban neighborhoods, homicide was estimated to decrease life expectancy in black males by nearly 5 years. Given that 84 percent of all male homicide deaths were firearm-related, the authors focus on the need to reduce gun availability.
Another researcher used this method to estimate the impact of gun homicides, suicides, and unintentional shooting deaths on U.S. life expectancy. That study found that gun violence shortens the life of an average American by 104 days (151 days for white males and 362 days for black males). Only motor vehicle crashes were found to have a greater effect than firearm violence on life expectancy.
How can I use it?
Use this study to document the urgency of reducing the lethality of assaults in poor urban areas by taking guns out of crime. We can make it harder for dangerous people to gain access to guns by strengthening our state and federal gun laws and enforcing them vigorously.
Citation
Redelings, Matthew, Loren Lieb, Frank Sorvillo, “Years Off Your Life? The Effects of Homicide on Life Expectancy by Neighborhood and Race/Ethnicity in Los Angeles County,” Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 87(4)2010:670
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