Ms Courtney Ryder^1,2, Dr Tamara Mackean^1,2, Dr  Kate Hunter¹, Associate Professor Kris Rogers^1,3, Professor Belinda Gabbe⁴, Professor Andrew Holland⁵, Professor Rebecca Ivers^1,2,6

¹The George Institute, Newtown, Australia, ²Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, ³The University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Australia, ⁴School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, ⁵School of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia, ⁶School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia

Abstract:

Background

Health equity is the absence of avoidable health disparities. Equity variables as defined by PROGRESS-Plus (residence, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status (SES)), have been associated with burn incidence and severity in Australian children. We evaluated equity variables associated with burn characteristics and severity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as compared to other Australian children.

Methods

Using Australian data from the Burns Registry of Australian and New Zealand (October 2009 – June 2018), retrospective analyses were conducted on, children aged <16 years with an acute burn presentation. Equity variables, burn characteristics and severity were examined through descriptive statistics. Significance was explored through X2 tests. Missing data were supplemented through multivariate imputation chained equations. All data were analysed through Stata 15.1. Indigenous research methods were used throughout.

Results

A total of 6980 patients were included. Male gender (61.0%), 1-4 years of age (52.9%), very low SES (57.2%) and primary cause from scalds (49.8%) were common in all Australian children. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children made up 10.4% of the study group (compared to 6.0% of the total population) and were more likely to come from outer regional areas (29.0%), have full thickness burns (15.7%), with a hospital length of stay 4.8 days longer than other Australian children (4.59 days).

Conclusion

Equity differences exist between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australian children for burn characteristics and severity. This suggests inequities in both prevention programs and access to health services, which may benefit from targeted intervention.

Biography:

Courtney Ryder is a PhD student in the Injury Division at The George Institute. Her studies are part of the Coolamon study, understanding burn injuries in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: treatment, access to services and outcomes. For which she has a NHMRC postgraduate scholarship to investigate the trajectory of recovery, quality of life, parental resilience and economic impacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families whose children are recovering from a burns injury. She is also a CI for on the NHMRC funded study, preventing falls in older Aboriginal people: the Ironbark trial. Ryder is seen as an emerging research leader in Aboriginal injury and rehabilitation, with a keen interest on equitable health outcomes for communities.