Assessing Return to Work Outcomes for Individuals Affected by Burn Injuries: A Comprehensive Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Burn Rehabilitation
• Public Health

Background:

• Burn injuries present long-term challenges for individuals, particularly affecting their ability to return to work (RTW).
• Understanding the factors influencing RTW is critical for developing effective occupational rehabilitation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze the factors associated with the return to work (RTW) status of burn patients.
• To identify key demographic, injury-related, and employment characteristics that predict RTW outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a dataset from 2018-2020, including demographic, burn characteristics, and employment data.
• Utilized Chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables.
• Descriptive statistics were employed to investigate participant characteristics, activity impairment, and work outcomes.

Main Results:

• Burn cases were more prevalent in males and the 25-40 age group.
• A significant proportion of patients had sustained 20-40% Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burns.
• Out of 1130 patients, 62.83% successfully returned to work, while 37.16% did not.

Conclusions:

• Identifying factors influencing RTW is vital for successful occupational rehabilitation post-burn injury.
• Insights into gender, age, burn severity, and employment status can guide targeted interventions for burn survivors.