Impact of childhood burns on academic performance: a matched population-based cohort study

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare academic performance and high school completion of young people hospitalised for a burn compared with young people not hospitalised for an injury.DesignA retrospective population-based matched case-comparison cohort study.ParticipantsYoung people aged ≤18 years hospitalised for a burn during 2005–2018 in New South Wales, Australia, with age, sex and residential postcode-matched peers not hospitalised for any injury during 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2018.Main outcome measuresPerformance below the national minimum standard (NMS) on the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy assessments and not completing high school.ResultsYoung females hospitalised for a burn had a 72% higher risk of poorer reading compared with their peers (adjusted relative risk (ARR) 1.72; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.23), while young males hospitalised with a burn showed no higher risk (ARR 1.14; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.43). Young males (ARR 1.05; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.35) and females (ARR 1.34; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.94) hospitalised with a burn had no higher risk of not reaching the NMS for numeracy compared with peers. Young people hospitalised with a burn had at least twice the risk of not completing year 10 (ARR 3.86; 95% CI 1.68 to 8.86), year 11 (ARR 2.45; 95% CI 1.89 to 3.18) and year 12 (ARR 2.09; 95% CI 1.63 to 2.67) compared with matched counterparts.ConclusionsYoung females hospitalised with a burn displayed poorer academic performance for reading compared with matched peers, while males and females were more likely to leave school earlier. Identifying unmet learning support needs of young burn survivors should be investigated.

Parental Stress and Child Quality of Life after Pediatric Burn

“…The finding that parents of daughters have higher post-traumatic stress symptoms levels is supported in the literature [17]. This gender difference postburn extends into education, with females doing less well in school [23], and it extends into adulthood, with females being more vulnerable to poor health-related quality of life after adult burn injury [24] and more at risk of other future health issues such as cancer [25]. Physically, the grip strength of females who were burnt at a younger are lower after their burn compared to males [26].…”

Advances for pediatricians in 2022: allergy, anesthesiology, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, global health, infectious diseases, metabolism, neonatology, neurology, oncology, pulmonology

“…No medical insurance, being malnourished, burnt by electrical and flame burn, having total body surface area burnt greater than 20%, and having poor clinical condition at admission increased mortality by four times compared to a good clinical condition. These results may suggest priority actions to reduce mortality and worst outcomes in children [103].…”