572 Examination of Gender Differences in Return to School and PROMIS-25® Outcomes for Pediatric Burn Survivors

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Gender differences in pediatric burn outcomes are not well-known. Long-term physical and mental health outcomes, in addition to school status, serve as important markers in recovery for school-aged burn survivors. This study aimed to assess the impact of gender on school status and health outcomes in pediatric burn survivors. Methods Data from pediatric burn survivors, age 8–17 years at time of injury that are participating in the Burn Model System National Database (2015–2019) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were generated for demographic and clinical characteristics. Scores on the seven subscales of the PROMIS-25 (physical function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, peer support, pain interference, and pain intensity) and school status at 12 months post-injury were examined. All demographic, clinical, and outcome data were compared by gender using Chi-square tests of association and two-sample t-tests for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results A total of 104 individuals (76 male, 28 female) were included in the demographic analysis. Additionally, 60 individuals had complete PROMIS-25® data at 12 months post-injury and were included in analysis. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age at time of burn injury, race/ethnicity, burn etiology, burn location and burn size did not differ by gender. No differences were found in PROMIS-25® subscales (p=0.22–0.87; Table 1) or school status by gender. Nearly 80% of male and female burn survivors were in school at 12-months post-injury (76.6% male vs. 88.2% female; p=0.307). Conclusions In this study, burn survivors between the ages of 8 and 17 years old did not experience any differences in long-term PROMIS-25® outcomes or school status at 12 months post-injury based on gender. Applicability of Research to Practice Preliminary data suggest similar physical, mental, and school outcomes for school aged children based on gender. A more robust examination of long-term pediatric outcomes and school status are needed in the future.