Social
The Geography of Community Integration for Burn Injury Survivors: A Comparative Analysis Across Multiple Metropolises Pyung Kim* Pyung Kim Dohyeong Kim Karen Kowalske
This study investigates geospatial factors associated with community integration through the following research objectives: (1) explore geographic variations in community integration among burn injury survivors in four metropolises with Burn Model System (BMS) centers, (2) identify community-level social and environmental factors that influence integration, and (3) compare how these factors differ across the four cities.
The primary data source for this study is the BMS National Database. Inclusion criteria were limited to adult burn survivors with injuries sustained between 2015 and 2022 and follow-up data at 6 months post-injury to ensure ZIP code availability for spatial analysis, while child burn survivors were excluded to avoid developmental confounding. This resulted in a final sample of approximately 1,500 adult burn survivors. The supplementary geospatial data was obtained from the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Data, which offers county-level metrics to assess community conditions over time using 19 variables across four categories: (1) Employment Opportunities, (2) Inclusive Neighborhoods, (3) Healthy Environment, and (4) Responsive and Just Governance.
Using this dataset, we performed four analyses: (1) Created county-level maps to illustrate average Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) scores before the injury and at 6 months post-injury; (2) Conducted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to determine which community characteristics were associated with reduced community reintegration outcomes for burn injury survivors; and (3) Examined how these factors varied across the four major metropolitan areas.
By identifying key factors that influence recovery outcomes for burn injury survivors, this research provides actionable insights for physicians and healthcare practitioners involved in burn treatment and recovery.