Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian children hospitalised for burn injuries: a population data linkage study

Area of Science:

• Paediatric burn injury epidemiology
• Indigenous health disparities
• Public health surveillance

Background:

• Burn injuries represent a significant cause of hospitalisation in children.
• Understanding disparities in burn injury characteristics between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the characteristics of burn injuries leading to hospitalisation in Indigenous Australian children versus non-Indigenous children in New South Wales.
• To identify potential differences in injury severity, treatment access, and healthcare utilisation.

Main Methods:

• Population-based cohort analysis using linked hospital and mortality data from 2000-2014.
• Inclusion of 35,749 Indigenous and 1,088,938 non-Indigenous children aged 0-13 years.
• Analysis of injury external cause, anatomical location, total body surface area affected (%TBSA), burn depth, and length of hospital stay (LOS).

Main Results:

• Indigenous children were more likely to be admitted with burns affecting >10% TBSA (17% vs 12%).
• Fewer Indigenous children (40%) were treated at a paediatric tertiary referral burn unit compared to non-Indigenous children (50%).
• Indigenous children had a longer mean length of hospital stay (6.1 days vs 3.4 days), a difference that remained significant after adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Indigenous Australian children in NSW present with more severe burn injuries (%TBSA) than non-Indigenous children.
• Longer hospital stays for Indigenous children indicate a greater burden of care, persisting after statistical adjustment.
• Findings highlight ongoing disparities in paediatric burn injury outcomes that warrant further investigation and targeted public health strategies.