Racial/ethnic disparities in the dose-response relationship between syndemic risk factors and increased gun carrying odds among male high school students in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Substance use, mental health, and violence are co-occurring risks associated with gun carrying among adolescents. Using a syndemic framework, we examined the co-occurrence and cumulative effect of these risk factors on gun carrying in male adolescents and potential racial/ethnic disparities.

Methods

We analyzed 2019-2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data with weighted multiple logistic regression models, controlling for age and sexual orientation. A syndemic risk factor variable was created by summing exposures to substance use, mental health, and victimization/violence. Interaction terms were tested, and models were stratified by race/ethnicity. A penalized maximum likelihood estimation (PMLE) regression was also applied to address potential instability due to the r

SUBMITTER: Couture MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12552995 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature