Underweight Adult Burn Survivors Report Significantly Worse Physical Function and Social Participation: A Burn Model...

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychosocial Health

Background:

• Burns cause significant physical and psychosocial distress.
• Extremes in body mass index (BMI) can complicate recovery and worsen emotional distress.
• The long-term effects of BMI on burn survivor outcomes remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare self-reported psychosocial and functional outcomes in adult burn survivors with varying BMIs.
• To investigate the impact of obesity, normal weight, and underweight status at discharge on recovery.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Burn Model System (BMS) national database (2010-2020).
• Categorization of participants into obese (BMI ≥ 30), normal weight (18.5–29.9), and underweight (BMI < 18.5) groups at discharge.
• Assessment of outcomes using PROMIS scales, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and Satisfaction with Life scale at 6, 12, and 24 months post-burn.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in outcomes were found between normal weight and obese burn survivors.
• Underweight survivors reported significantly worse physical function (p = 0.005) and social participation (p = 0.041) compared to normal weight survivors.
• A total of 920 participants were included: 306 obese, 579 normal weight, and 35 underweight.

Conclusions:

• Underweight status is associated with poorer long-term physical function and social integration following burn injury.
• BMI should be considered in the management of long-term recovery for adult burn survivors.
• Obesity did not appear to significantly affect psychosocial or functional outcomes in this cohort.