Understanding Burn Injury Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children – results of a two-year cohort study
Dublin Core
Title
Understanding Burn Injury Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children – results of a two-year cohort study
Subject
Indigenous peoples--Health and hygiene
Creator
Kristen Walker
Electronic Resource Item Type Metadata
Journal Name
Burns
Volume
Vol. 50
Issue
No. 8
Publication Date
2024
Publisher
Elsevier ScienceDirect
Document Type
Journal article
Language
English
Region
Australia
Access
Open Access
View Source
Abstract
Background
Despite known inequalities, little is understood about the burden and healthcare experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who sustain a burn injury and their families.
Methods
The Coolamon Study recruited parents and carers whose children (aged <16 years) were Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander children and had presented to burn units across four Australian states, New South Wales (Sydney), Northern Territory (Darwin), Queensland (Brisbane, Townsville) and South Australia (Adelaide), between 2015 and 2018. Consent was obtained and carers completed baseline and subsequent interviews at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. Data were collected on the injury event, patient care and safety, sociodemographic factors, health related quality of life (PedsQual), and psychological distress (Kessler K-5).
Results
Of the 208 participants, 64 % were male; 26 % were aged less than 2 years and 37 % aged 2–4 years. The most common burn mechanisms were scalds (37 %), contact (33 %) and flame burns (21 %), with more severe burns and flame burns occurring in rural and remote settings. Most carers rated their child’s care as either excellent or very good (82 %). Family distress, measured by the K-5, lessened over the 24 months, however the changes were not statistically significant. While 77 % of carers reported that they received enough information, 18 % reported they would have liked more, and 3 % reported no information was provided before treatment. Parents described mixed access to information about the types of support available to them, such as accommodation, meals, travel or cultural support.
Conclusion
Data from this cohort provide rich new information about risk factors and care received from point of injury through to rehabilitation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with burns, providing unique insights into what is needed for appropriate, culturally safe care.
Despite known inequalities, little is understood about the burden and healthcare experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who sustain a burn injury and their families.
Methods
The Coolamon Study recruited parents and carers whose children (aged <16 years) were Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander children and had presented to burn units across four Australian states, New South Wales (Sydney), Northern Territory (Darwin), Queensland (Brisbane, Townsville) and South Australia (Adelaide), between 2015 and 2018. Consent was obtained and carers completed baseline and subsequent interviews at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. Data were collected on the injury event, patient care and safety, sociodemographic factors, health related quality of life (PedsQual), and psychological distress (Kessler K-5).
Results
Of the 208 participants, 64 % were male; 26 % were aged less than 2 years and 37 % aged 2–4 years. The most common burn mechanisms were scalds (37 %), contact (33 %) and flame burns (21 %), with more severe burns and flame burns occurring in rural and remote settings. Most carers rated their child’s care as either excellent or very good (82 %). Family distress, measured by the K-5, lessened over the 24 months, however the changes were not statistically significant. While 77 % of carers reported that they received enough information, 18 % reported they would have liked more, and 3 % reported no information was provided before treatment. Parents described mixed access to information about the types of support available to them, such as accommodation, meals, travel or cultural support.
Conclusion
Data from this cohort provide rich new information about risk factors and care received from point of injury through to rehabilitation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with burns, providing unique insights into what is needed for appropriate, culturally safe care.
Citation
Kristen Walker, “Understanding Burn Injury Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children – results of a two-year cohort study,” ICMGLT Digital Library, accessed June 11, 2026, https://icmglt.org/library/items/show/495.