Poster #105 - Race as a Predictor of Social Adjustment Following Pediatric Burn Injury

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Health, Growth, Injury

Integrative Statement

Pediatric burn patients commonly experience psychological distress including anxiety, traumatic stress reactions, and behavioral problems when responding to their injuries (Bakker et al., 2013). Research suggests that while a majority of pediatric burn patients may not sustain severe psychological consequences, they are susceptible to maladaptive behaviors and fewer coping skills in their personal and social functioning following their injury (Meyer et al., 1995). Importantly, literature suggests that pediatric burn survivors are more prone to experiencing social difficulties compared to non-burned youth. Furthermore, demographic characteristics (e.g., child race, age, gender, socioeconomic status, TBSA) have the potential to moderate level of social competence in pediatric burn survivors (Szabo et al., 2017). We hypothesize that Black youth would endorse more interpersonal difficulties following burn injuries than their White counterparts.

To further address the impact of patient demographic on social adjustment in pediatric burn injury, this study looks at the relationship between child race and social adjustment in child measures of quality of life. Participants were pediatric burn patients (N: 288; 47.9% white, mean age: 9.09 years) screened in a large multidisciplinary clinic by a pediatric psychologist using Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI; Lewis-Jones & Finlay, 1995). Scores of two items addressing social interactions with peers (friendships; negative social exchanges) from CDLQI were combined to compute the dependent variable (min: 0; max: 6; mean: .6424).

Linear regression analysis with independent variables of age, sex, degree of burn, and total body surface area of burn, predicting CDLQI social functioning score suggested that age (Beta = .175; p = .005) significantly predicted social adjustment. However age became less significant (Beta = .160; p = .01) once race was added to the model (F(5, 5.78) = 3.88; p = .002; adjusted rsq = .053), and race became the foremost significant predictor of social adjustment (Beta = .162; p = .009). An independent samples t-test indicated that black youth endorse a higher mean on CDLQI social functioning than white youth (black: .8267; white: .4420; p = 0.008).

While the scope of measuring social adjustment was limited to two items on CDLQI, it is notable that race had the most significant impact beyond other demographic variables and burn injury variables. This finding may indicate the need for heightened attention towards social consequences following burn injury among black youth.

Authors

• Youlim Song, Johns Hopkins University
  Presenting Author

• Dylan Stewart, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Susan Ziegfeld, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rick Ostrander, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carisa Parrish, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author