Gun Owners’ Beliefs about Safe Storage Practices: A Theory of Planned Behavior Elicitation

Objective: There has been a dramatic increase in firearm purchases contributing to demographic shifts in firearm ownership and the need for safe firearm storage in American households. Safely securing firearms is essential for preventing firearm injuries, but more research is needed to understand and identify potential motivators and barriers that can be addressed with public health interventions. The purpose of this study was to elicit salient beliefs (behavioral, normative, and control) pertaining to safely storing handguns among gun owners. Methods: We used the theoretical underpinnings of the Theory of Planned Behavior in this study. We recruited handgun owners (n = 31) between the ages of 24 and 74 via Forthright Access, a third-party paneling service. Participants completed a survey of open-ended questions about safely storing their handgun. Results: Key motivating beliefs for safe handgun storage included the desire to have home defense and to protect children in the home. Participants also expressed that they were more likely to store their handgun safely when encouraged by law enforcement and family members. Conclusions: Findings from this study can be used to inform subsequent studies that recruit larger, representative samples to test which theoretical factors most strongly predict safe storage behaviors.