Quantifying Burn Injury–Related Disability and Quality of Life in the Developing World

Abstract Introduction Individual- and community-level socioeconomic disparities impact overall health and injury incidence, severity, and outcomes. However, the impact of community-level socioeconomic disparities on recovery after burn injury is unknown. We aimed to characterize the association between community-level socioeconomic disparities and health-related quality of life (HRQL) after burn injury. These findings might inform rehabilitation service delivery and policy making at administrative levels. Methods Participants with the NIDILRR Burn Model System who were ≥14 years with a zip code were included. Sociodemographic and injury characteristics and 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Veterans RAND (VR-12) physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary scores 6 months after injury were extracted. Data were deterministically linked by zip code to the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), which combines seven census-derived metrics into a single indicator of economic well-being that ranges from 0 (lowest distress) to 100 (highest distress). Multilevel linear regression models estimated the association between DCI and HRQL. Results The 342 participants were mostly male (239, 69%) had a median age of 48 years (IQR 33–57) and sustained a median burn size of 10% TBSA (IQR 3–28%). More than one-third of participants (117, 34%) lived in a neighborhood within the two most distressed quintiles. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and pre-injury HRQL, increasing neighborhood distress was negatively associated with PCS (ß-0.05, SE 0.02, p=0.01). Age and pre-injury PCS were also significantly associated with 6-month PCS. There was no association between neighborhood distress and 6-month MCS. However, pre-injury MCS was significantly associated with 6-month MCS (0.56, SE 0.07, p< 0.001). Conclusions Neighborhood distress is associated with lower PCS after burn injury but is not associated with MCS. Regardless of neighborhood distress, pre-injury HRQL is significantly associated with both PCS and MCS during recovery.

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Epidemiology of injuries, treatment (costs) and outcome in burn patients admitted to a hospital with or without dedicated burn centre (Burn-Pro): protocol for a multicentre prospective observational study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023709 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. e023709 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Esther MM Van Lieshout ◽

Daan T Van Yperen ◽

Margriet E Van Baar ◽

Suzanne Polinder ◽

Doeke Boersma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Observational Study ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Treatment Costs ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Severe Burns ◽

Referral Criteria ◽

Age Limit

IntroductionThe Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) referral criteria have been implemented for optimal triaging of burn patients. Admission to a burn centre is indicated for patients with severe burns or with specific characteristics like older age or comorbidities. Patients not meeting these criteria can also be treated in a hospital without burn centre. Limited information is available about the organisation of care and referral of these patients. The aims of this study are to determine the burn injury characteristics, treatment (costs), quality of life and scar quality of burn patients admitted to a hospital without dedicated burn centre. These data will subsequently be compared with data from patients with<10% total bodysurface area (TBSA) burned who are admitted (or secondarily referred) to a burn centre. If admissions were in agreement with the EMSB, referral criteria will also be determined.Methods and analysisIn this multicentre, prospective, observational study (cohort study), the following two groups of patients will be followed: 1) all patients (no age limit) admitted with burn-related injuries to a hospital without a dedicated burn centre in the Southwest Netherlands or Brabant Trauma Region and 2) all patients (no age limit) with<10% TBSA burned who are primarily admitted (or secondarily referred) to the burn centre of Maasstad Hospital. Data on the burn injury characteristics (primary outcome), EMSB compliance, treatment, treatment costs and outcome will be collected from the patients’ medical files. At 3 weeks and at 3, 6 and 12 months after trauma, patients will be asked to complete the quality of life questionnaire (EuroQoL-5D), and the patient-reported part of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). At those time visits, the coordinating investigator or research assistant will complete the observer-reported part of the POSAS.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been exempted by the medical research ethics committee Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Each participant will provide written consent to participate and remain encoded during the study. The results of the study are planned to be published in an international, peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberNTR6565.

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Evolving Consciousness in the Developing World: Analysis of National Curriculum Framework 2005 for Enrichment of Quality of life in School Learning Environments

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.220 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 202 ◽

pp. 169-180

Author(s):

Smita Khan

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Developing World ◽

National Curriculum ◽

Curriculum Framework ◽

School Learning

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Relationship between Sleep Disorders and Health Related Quality of Life—Results from the Georgia SOMNUS Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15081588 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (8) ◽

pp. 1588 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Nato Darchia ◽

Nikoloz Oniani ◽

Irine Sakhelashvili ◽

Mariam Supatashvili ◽

Tamar Basishvili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Disorders ◽

Developing World ◽

Short Form ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Insomnia Severity

The extent to which sleep disorders are associated with impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is poorly described in the developing world. We investigated the prevalence and severity of various sleep disorders and their associations with HRQoL in an urban Georgian population. 395 volunteers (20–60 years) completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, STOP-Bang questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form, and Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Socio-demographic data and body mass index (BMI) were obtained. The prevalence of sleep disorders and their association with HRQoL was considerable. All SF-12 components and physical and mental component summaries (PCS, MCS) were significantly lower in poor sleepers, subjects with daytime sleepiness, apnea risk, or insomnia. Insomnia and apnea severity were also associated with lower scores on most SF-12 dimensions. The effect of insomnia severity was more pronounced on MCS, while apnea severity—on PCS. Hierarchical analyses showed that after controlling for potential confounding factors (demographics, depression, BMI), sleep quality significantly increased model’s predictive power with an R2 change (ΔR2) by 3.5% for PCS (adjusted R2 = 0.27) and by 2.9% for MCS (adjusted R2 = 0.48); for the other SF-12 components ΔR2 ranged between 1.4% and 4.6%. ESS, STOP-Bang, ISI scores, all exerted clear effects on PCS and MCS in an individual regression models. Our results confirm and extend the findings of studies from Western societies and strongly support the importance of sleep for HRQoL. Elaboration of intervention programs designed to strengthen sleep-related health care and thereof HRQoL is especially important in the developing world.

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A World Food Action Program

Worldview ◽

10.1017/s0084255900025298 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 26-29

Author(s):

Hubert H. Humphrey

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Developing World ◽

Political Stability ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Action Program ◽

World Food ◽

Economic Stability ◽

The Poor ◽

The Developed Countries

We have been waging a battle to improve the quality of life in the developing world for twenty-five years. Today this battle is being lost. As the world's military powers seek to reduce the risks of nuclear holocaust, new dangers to political and economic stability have arisen.The threat of widespread famine is on the increase. Fertilizer shortages grow, and the affluent continue to consume a disproportionate amount of the world's food resources. Worldwide inflation continues to take a heavy toll on the developing and the developed countries alike. This erodes political stability and depletes what little hard currency the poor nations have amassed.

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612 Assessing the Impact of Burns on Children Aged 5–18 Years: A Narrative Review of Health Outcomes Literature

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/iraa024.238 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S150-S150

Author(s):

Amelia Austen ◽

Carina Hou ◽

Khushbu Patel ◽

Keri Brady ◽

Gabrielle G Grant ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Social Functioning ◽

Physical Functioning ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Health Domains ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Burn injuries can have major long-term effects on the health and quality of life for children and adolescents. This study narratively reviewed the health outcomes literature focusing on the impact of burn injury for children aged 5–18. Methods Literature targeting pediatric outcomes was reviewed to identify the effects of burns on children aged 5–18 (n=16). Inclusion criteria included studies that focused on the impact of burns on health and quality of life and were age-appropriate for this population. Articles were identified via PubMed, Web of Science, and manual reference checks. Data collected included the outcomes and health domains assessed in each article and the findings of the effects of the burn injury on those specific outcomes. The Preschool LIBRE Conceptual Model served as a ‘domains framework’ to guide the identification of outcomes and health domains. Results Long-term burn-specific outcomes and broad health domains identified were physical functioning (n=9), psychological functioning (n=12), social functioning (n=4), symptoms (n=8), and family (n=7). Some studies exclusively focused on one domain whereas others assessed two domains or more. Subdomains such as upper extremity functioning and functional independence were addressed in the physical functioning domain. Psychological functioning outcomes included subdomains such as emotional health and behavioral problems. Social functioning outcomes evaluated subdomains such as problems with peers and social participation. The symptoms domain addressed post-burn pain and itch. Family outcomes subdomains such as parental satisfaction with appearance and general family functioning were identified. Conclusions Burn-specific outcomes and health domains assessing the effects of burns on children aged 5–18 were identified among 16 studies. There is a need for a comprehensive assessment tool that more precisely measures the impact of burn injury across these domains. This work will inform the development of the School-Aged Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE) Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) Profile – a new outcome metric for children and adolescents with burns. Applicability of Research to Practice This review is relevant to researchers and clinicians assessing health outcomes and measuring burn recovery in children aged 5–18.

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The tooth as a marker of developing world quality of life: A field study in Guatemala

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/0277-9536(95)00011-u ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 41 (9) ◽

pp. 1217-1240 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

John M. Hunter ◽

Sonia I. Arbona

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Field Study ◽

Developing World

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Predictors of itch and pain in the 12 months following burn injury: results from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ) Long-Term Outcomes Project

Burns & Trauma ◽

10.1093/burnst/tkz004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lincoln M Tracy ◽

Dale W Edgar ◽

Rebecca Schrale ◽

Heather Cleland ◽

Belinda J Gabbe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Severe Pain ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Short Form ◽

Bodily Pain ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Abstract Background Itch and pain are common complaints of patients with burn injuries. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain in the first 12 months following a burn injury, and determine the association between itch, moderate to severe pain, work-related outcomes, and health-related quality of life following a burn injury. Methods Burn patients aged 18 years and older were recruited from five Australian specialist burn units. Patients completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36 V2), the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) work scale, and a specially developed questionnaire relating to itch at 1, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Moderate to severe pain was defined as a score less than 40 on the bodily pain domain of the SF-36 V2. Multivariate mixed-effects regression models were used to identify patient and burn injury predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain. Results Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were included. The prevalence of itch decreased from 50% at 1 month to 27% at 12 months. Similarly, the prevalence of moderate to severe pain decreased from 23% at 1 month to 13% at 12 months. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing any itch were 59% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.82) and 55% (95% CI: 0.22, 0.91) lower for patients aged between 35 and 49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing moderate to severe pain were 3.12 (95% CI: 1.35, 7.20) and 3.42 (95% CI: 1.47, 7.93) times higher for patients aged 35-49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Conclusions Less than 15% of patients reported moderate or severe pain at 12 months, while approximately one-quarter of the patients reported itch at the same period. The presence of moderate to severe pain was associated with a greater negative impact on health-related quality of life and work outcomes compared to itch. Further research is needed to improve our ability to identify patients at higher risk of persistent itch and pain who would benefit from targeted review and intervention studies.

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