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

Nicole Halim, Andrew J. A. Holland, Anne McMaugh, Cate M. Cameron, Reidar P. Lystad, Tim Badgery-Parker, Rebecca Mitchell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
49 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: This 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.

Design: A retrospective population-based matched case-comparison cohort study.

Participants: Young 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 measures: Performance below the national minimum standard (NMS) on the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy assessments and not completing high school.

Results: Young 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.

Conclusions: Young 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.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)808-814
Number of pages7
JournalArchives of Disease in Childhood
Volume108
Issue number10
Early online date9 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2023. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

  • Adolescent Health
  • Child Health
  • Epidemiology

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