Assessing the Impact of Community Resources on Pediatric Trauma Recidivism

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Trauma Research
• Public Health
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Traumatic injury is a leading cause of death in children.
• Understanding factors influencing pediatric trauma and recidivism is essential for prevention.
• The association between community resources and pediatric trauma outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between community resources and pediatric trauma.
• To examine the relationship between community resources and penetrating injuries and trauma recidivism.
• To identify potential areas for improving trauma prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of pediatric trauma patients (0-28 years) from January 2008 to April 2023 at a Level 1 pediatric trauma center.
• Comparison of recidivists (multiple trauma visits) with nonrecidivists.
• Analysis of community resources in high-trauma zip codes using the Community Resources and Assets Forsyth County map.
• Calculation of pairwise Pearson correlation coefficients to determine relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• A moderately strong positive correlation (r=0.5668) was found between community resources and recidivism.
• Very strong positive correlations were observed between community resources and penetrating trauma (r=0.9118) and child abuse injuries (r=0.9448).
• Among children under 16, a strong correlation (r=0.7466) existed between resources and penetrating trauma.

Conclusions:

• Community resources are geographically concentrated in areas with high pediatric trauma rates.
• The effectiveness of existing community resources in reducing pediatric injuries appears limited, potentially due to access or awareness issues.
• Targeted initiatives are needed to enhance the accessibility and utilization of community resources in high-need areas for effective trauma prevention.