| Burn injuries are a public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality in obese patients. Public health professionals rely on burn injury details for primary prevention initiatives; yet little is known about burn injury characteristics in the obese population. The purpose of this study was to examine the pre-event and event characteristics associated with human, agent, and physical environments preceding burn injury among obese and nonobese. The public health approach and Haddon matrix formed the theoretical basis for this study. The research question examined whether there were differences in pre-event and event phases of burn injuries by obesity status. The research design was descriptive and quantitative in nature. The sample consisted of 708 burn patients admitted to a Level 1 trauma center using electronic, hard copy, and burn registry medical data. Analyses were performed controlling for main differences in length of stay, total body surface area, mortality, and inhalation injury and stratified by obesity status. Although findings to predict mechanism of injury using multinomial logistic regression indicated an increased likelihood of flame burn injuries with an incident locale outdoors or in a vehicle, there were no significant differences among obese and nonobese patients. The social change implications include increasing awareness of pre-event and event factors that affect burn injuries through utilization of Haddon Matrix. This study may also increase awareness of morbidity and mortality related to burn injuries in the obese population, thereby encouraging further development of primary prevention strategies and additional research to lessen the prevalence of burn injuries in the obese population. |
