An Interactive Web Platform to Teach Children Hunting, Shooting and Firearms Safety

NCT04622943 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: R01CE003307
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 163
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Firearms injuries present a major pediatric public health challenge, killing \>800 children ages 0-15 annually and leading to lifelong disability among \>1000 survivors. About ⅓ of firearms injuries to children under age 15 are due to unintentional causes rather than suicide or homicide. The investigators propose development and evaluation of ShootSafe, an innovative, engaging, and educational website accessible by smartphone, tablet or computer that engages children to learn firearms safety. ShootSafe extends existing programs to achieve 3 primary goals: a) teach children knowledge and skills they need to hunt, shoot, and use firearms safely; b) help children learn and hone critical cognitive skills of impulse control and hypothetical thinking needed to use firearms safely; and c) alter children's perceptions about their own vulnerability and susceptibility to firearms-related injuries, the severity of those injuries, and their perceived norms about peer behavior surrounding firearms use. ShootSafe will accomplish these goals through a combination of interactive games plus podcast videos delivered by peer actors (impactful testimonials about firearms injuries/deaths they experienced) and experts (wisdom \& experience from trusted role models). The website will also incorporate brief messaging to parents, who will absorb key lessons and reinforce them with their children. The website will be evaluated through a randomized controlled trial with 162 children ages 10-12, randomly assigning children to engage in the ShootSafe website or an active control website on child nutrition. The investigators will incorporate sub-aims to evaluate changes in children's (a) knowledge, (b) cognitive skills in impulse control and hypothetical thinking, (c) perceptions about firearms safety, and (d) simulated behavior when handling, storing and transporting firearms. All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-month follow-up assessment to evaluate retention. Training will comprise two 30-minute sessions.

Conditions

Safety Issues; Injuries; Firearm Injury

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Number of Knowledge Items Answered Correctly

  firearms safety knowledge scale (10 items, minimum value 0 and maximum value 10). Higher scores indicate greater knowledge.

  1 week after intervention completed

• Risky Behavior in Simulated Hunting Scenario

  Number of simulated situations when it was dangerous to shoot the toy firearm and the child took shots

  1 week after intervention completed

Study Arms (2)

firearms safety

EXPERIMENTAL

Children will spend two 45-minute sessions engaged on ShootSafe, an internet-based training program on firearms safety.

Behavioral: firearms safety

nutrition

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Children will spend two 45-minute sessions engaged in vHappy, an internet-based training program on nutrition and wellbeing.

Behavioral: nutrition

Interventions

firearms safety BEHAVIORAL

interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children firearms, hunting and shooting safety

firearms safety

nutrition BEHAVIORAL

interactive and engaging website with videos and educational games to teach children about nutrition and wellbeing

nutrition

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• children ages 10-12 years
• English-speaking child and parent
• Experience or exposure to firearms in their homes or through engagement in hunting or shooting

You may not qualify if:

• disabilities that prohibit participants from valid understanding of or participation in the experimental protocol
• siblings of enrolled child

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alabama at Birmingham: lead

Study Sites (1)

UAB Youth Safety Lab, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Schwebel DC, Long DL, Johnston A, He Y, Morgan CH, Severson J, Taylor G, Trullinger K. Evaluation of ShootSafe, an Interactive, Sequential Website to Teach Youths Firearms Safety: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Am J Public Health. 2025 Dec;115(12):1971-1977. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308267. Epub 2025 Sep 18.

  PMID: 40966575 DERIVED

• Schwebel DC, Long DL, Gowey M, Severson J, He Y, Trullinger K. Study protocol: developing and evaluating an interactive web platform to teach children hunting, shooting and firearms safety: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health. 2021 Feb 6;21(1):308. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10345-3.

  PMID: 33549072 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Wounds and Injuries

Interventions

Nutritional Status

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Health Status; Demography; Population Characteristics

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. David Schwebel
• Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham

schwebel@uab.edu

205-934-8745

Study Officials

• David Schwebel, PhD

  University of Alabama at Birmingham

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: University Professor of Psychology & Associate Vice President for Research Facilities & Infrastructure

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 26, 2020
• First Posted: November 10, 2020
• Study Start: December 14, 2021
• Primary Completion: May 10, 2024
• Study Completion: May 10, 2024
• Last Updated: March 18, 2025
• Results First Posted: March 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: after all primary analyses are conducted and published, for 3 year period
• Access Criteria: qualified user with appropriate training and approval

Locations

US (1)