Sixty-nine percent of physicians believe U.S. gun laws are not strict enough, according to a Medscape survey of more than 2,300 practicing physicians published Oct. 7.
Between Jan. 22 and March 2, 2,341 physicians across 29 specialties completed Medscape's online survey that included questions on "10 controversial social issues." Sixty-two percent of respondents were men and 33 percent were women.
Four more findings from the survey's subsection on gun control:
1. Twenty percent of physicians named gun control as a top social issue in the U.S. Overall, it was the fourth-most chosen top issue, behind healthcare access, substance/opioid abuse and climate change.
2. Nearly 80 percent of physicians said they support the right of private citizens to own guns. That figure includes 57 percent who support private ownership of any gun and 22 percent who support private ownership of nonautomatic guns only.
3. Just 3 percent of physicians disagreed or slightly disagreed with the statement that background checks should be required to own a firearm. Ninety percent of physicians said the minimum age to own a firearm should be 18, and 70 percent said a psychological evaluation should be a gun ownership requirement.
4. Raising or donating money and volunteering time were the two most common ways physicians indicated they got involved in social activism on gun control, on either side of the issue: 57 percent said they have helped raise money or donated to a charity organization, and 38 percent said they have volunteered time.