Assault burn injuries in adolescents and adults in South Africa: risk factors and characteristics
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Authors
Van Niekerk, Ashley
Govender, Rajen
Kimemia, David
Issue Date
2022-04-27
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Burn injuries , assault , chemicals , scalding , alcohol
Alternative Title
Abstract
Assault burns comprise a significant subset of burns, with a greater risk of severe injuries. This South African study used a national dataset from major hospitals to identify risks and injury characteristics of assault burns. The analysis sample comprised 2658 adolescent and adult cases and employed logistic regression with bootstrapping to examine the risk of assault compared to unintentional burns. The study indicates that 17.4% of burns were due to assault. Males were 1.5 times more likely than females to be burn assault victims. Compared to adults 55 years and older, young adults 22–39 years were at greatest risk, followed by youth 13–21 years. Assault injuries were five times more likely due to chemical attacks and three times more likely to scalds than to flame burns. The head, neck and trunk were most affected. Where alcohol was indicated, assault burns were five times more likely than unintentional burns. The findings may indicate the need for targeted prevention strategies such as conflict resolution, alcohol use management and the control of corrosive chemicals.
Description
Citation
Ashley van Niekerk, Rajen Govender & David Kimemia (2022) Assault burn injuries in adolescents and adults in South Africa: risk factors and characteristics, International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2022.2061517
Publisher
Taylor & Francis