LAUSR

Key Points Question Do associations between adolescent participation in violence and handgun carrying vary across the rural-urban continuum in the United States? Findings In this cross-sectional study using survey data from 2002 to 2019 with a weighted count of nearly 25 million adolescents per year, adolescent handgun carrying was most common in the most rural counties. The greater overall prevalence of handgun carrying in rural areas was associated with a higher absolute prevalence of handgun carrying associated with adolescent violence in rural areas than in urban areas. Meaning These findings suggest that adolescent participation in violence was associated with handgun carrying across the rural-urban continuum; however, opportunities for preventing handgun carrying–related harms may differ between rural and urban communities.