>> Cathy: GUN VIOLENCE HAS SURPASSED CAR ACCIDENTS AS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AMERICANS UNDER 24.

THE RACIAL DISPARITIES THAT EXIST IN THOSE DEATHS ARE OFTEN CITED, BUT MAINLY FOCUS ON THE CRISIS IN URBAN AREAS.

A RECENT STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE SHOWS THE GREATEST INCREASE IN GUN DEATHS IS IN RURAL BLACK YOUTH.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GRAD STUDENT ALLISON LIND IS THE LEAD AUTHOR OF THE STUDY CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

>> THANK YOU, CATHY, THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR HAVING ME.

>> ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S A BIG DEAL TO BE IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

SO YOU'RE A PEDIATRIC NURSE?

>> I AM, YEAH.

>> Cathy: HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN STUDYING SOMETHING LIKE THIS >> YES, FIREARMS AS YOU MENTIONED BECAME THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN 2020 AND I WORKED IN ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND WAS SEEING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING LUCKILY NOT DEATH BUT FIREARM INJURIES, AND SO WHEN THIS CAME OUT THAT FIREARMS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE, WANTED TO LOOK MORE INTO IT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

>> Eric: THIS REALLY SHATTERS WHAT I THINK MIGHT BE THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM OR STEREOTYPING.

>> YEAH, HISTORICALLY WE THINK OF GUNS KILLING BLACK URBAN YOUTH BY HOMICIDES AND THEN IN RURAL SETTINGS WE TEND TO THINK OF WHITE AND AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKAN NATIVE YOUTH BY FIREARM SUICIDES.

BLACK RURAL YOUTH HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN PART OF THE NARRATIVE.

SO WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE DATA JUST SAW THIS HUGE INCREASE IN BLACK RURAL YOUTH, THEIR DEATH RATES FROM FIREARMS USED TO BE ON PAR WITH WHITE RURAL YOUTH AND THEN IN THE PAST DECADE ARE NOW ON PAR WITH BLACK URBAN YOUTH.

SO INCREASED FOUR-FOLD IN THE PAST DECADE.

>> Cathy: AND ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT DEATH BY SUICIDE?

>> YEP, AND SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THESE DEATHS AND IT'S ACTUALLY HOMICIDE.

86% WERE HOMICIDES IN 2022.

>> Cathy: IN RURAL AREAS.

>> Eric: DID THE PANDEMIC HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS?

DID IT CHANGE THE NUMBERS?

>> SO THAT ACCELERATED THE TREND, BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON LONG BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

IN 2013 IT REALLY STARTED.

>> Cathy: NATIONWIDE NUMBERS?

>> NATIONWIDE NUMBERS.

>> Cathy: ANY MINNESOTA NUMBERS YOU LOOKED AT AT ALL?

>> NO, BECAUSE OF DATA SUPPRESSION WE CAN'T GET MINNESOTA NUMBERS.

BUT MOST OF THE DEATHS ARE IN -- OF BLACK RURAL YOUTH ARE IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE MAJORITY OF BLACK RURAL YOUTH LIVE IN THE SOUTH, SO OUR NEXT STEPS ARE REALLY LEARNING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHERE THESE DEATHS ARE OCCURRING AND WHAT'S LEADING TO THEM.

>> Cathy: ANY THEORIES AT ALL?

I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A DISSERTATION SO YOU CAN'T PROBABLY THEORIZE, BUT ANY KERNELS OF KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'VE COME ACROSS THAT YOU MIGHT THINK, OH, THAT COULD BE?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS WE WANT TO LOOK INTO IT, LIKE HOW ARE THESE RURAL PLACES CHANGES?

IS THIS AN ISSUE OF POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGING WITH REGARDS TO MORE PEOPLE OF LATE ADOLESCENCE, YOUNG ADULTHOOD LIVING IN RURAL AREAS?

OR IS THERE MIGRATION INTO AND OUT OF RURAL AREAS?

LIKE DISADVANTAGED, ARE THESE AREAS BECOMING MORE DISADVANTAGED OR POOR?

AND THEN GUNS, GUNS HAVE INCREASED A LOT.

ABOUT 5 MILLION GUNS MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2009, AND THEN BY 2013 WAS UP TO ABOUT 11 MILLION.

>> Eric: EGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR, YOUNG ADULTS ARE THE INTENSE GROUP AS FAR AS THESE NUMBERED ARE CONCERNED, MOST AFFECTED GROUP?

>> WITH GUN DEATHS OVERALL, USUALLY LIKE YOUNG ADULTHOOD.

BUT BLACK YOUTH ARE BY FAR DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED.

AND NOW IT'S NOT JUST BLACK URBAN YOUTH BUT RURAL TOO.

>> Eric: CATHY ASKED ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME THEORIES.

HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT NOW TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE WHY THIS IS HAPPENING?

ARE THERE NUMBERS TO STUDY THAT?

>> YEAH, WHAT I WAS USING WAS JUST PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA AND I'VE GOTTEN RESTRICTED DATA WHICH LINKS EACH DEATH TO A COUNTY OF RESIDENCE, AND THEN LOOKING AT COUNTY CHARACTERISTICS F WHAT THESE PLACES ARE, WHERE THEY ARE, AND HOW HAVE THEY CHANGED OVER TIME.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU GOT A GRADUATE ASSISTANT TO HELP YOU WITH ALL THIS DATA?

>> THAT'S ME.

>> Eric: YOU'RE IT?

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: DOING IT ON YOUR OWN.

>> Eric: THIS IS WRITTEN UP IN MINNPOST, ISN'T IT?

>> YEAH YEAH, JUST GOT WRITTEN UP IN MINNPOST.

>> Cathy: AND OF COURSE HAVING IT N NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE IS PRETTY BIG TOO.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK BUT ONCE YOU GET IT DONE WHAT ARE YOU HOPING MIGHT COME IN FROM SOME OF THESE FINDINGS?

POLICY CHANGES?

PUBLIC HEALTH CHANGES?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIC, FIREARMS ARE, AND LEARNING WHY THIS IS HAPPENING I THINK I THINK LEARNING WHY IT'S HAPPENING AND THEN WHAT POLICY SOLUTIONS WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS IT.

>> Cathy: HOW FAR AWAY ARE YOU FROM FINISHING THIS?

>> TWO YEARS, SO.

>> Cathy: OKAY, THERE'S A LITTLE WAY TO GO.

>> YEAH, I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

>> Cathy: CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANKS.

>> Eric: