Risk factors for severe burn-related injuries among children and youth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Emilie Beaulieu, Magali Cortenbach, Norma Pérez Herrera, Morgane St-Pierre Lanthier, Amélie Boutin

Published in

Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. Jul 01, 2026. Epub Jul 01, 2026.

Abstract

Burn injuries are a major cause of preventable death and disability in children worldwide. Much of the literature on risk factors has been descriptive, limiting the ability to compare risk between groups. Studies reporting quantitative measures of association can better quantify the magnitude and precision of relationships; but findings may vary across burn mechanisms and injury severity. In a context of constrained resources, policymakers require robust, comparative data to prioritise prevention strategies targeting the most serious injuries.
To systematically review and synthesise evidence on risk factors associated with severe and fatal unintentional burn injuries among children under 20 years of age, focusing on studies reporting quantitative measures of association.
A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science from inception to April 2026. Eligible studies reported risk estimates between any determinants and severe (at least hospitalisation) or fatal unintentional burn injuries in children. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies-of Exposure tool. Meta-analyses were conducted when appropriate.
25 studies (n=35 920 injuries) were included. Low neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status emerged as the strongest risk factor for severe paediatric burn injuries, followed by male sex. Evidence for other factors, including child age, maternal age, education and ethnicity, was mixed and often methodologically limited.
According to this first systematic review focused on severe paediatric burn injuries, structural, equity-informed strategies targeting disadvantaged communities should be a top priority to effectively prevent severe paediatric burn injuries.

PMID:
42386509
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Jul 2026.

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