46 Prevalence and factors associated with burn injuries among children aged five years and below admitted to lira regional referral hospital, Uganda

<h3>Background</h3> Burns represent a large proportion of injuries and death globally with approximately 9 million injuries occurring globally, with 120,000–180,000 deaths annually, majority occurring in low and middle-income countries. Although burns have been studied and reported in Africa, there is scarcity of specific information on this problem in many parts of Uganda including post conflict northern Uganda. <h3>Objectives</h3> The study sought to determine the magnitude of burn injuries and identify associated predisposing factors in children 5 years and below (minors) admitted in Lira regional referral hospital, in post conflict northern Uganda. <h3>Methodology</h3> The cross-sectional study encompassed the records of admitted burn victims who were 5 years and below (minors) over a period of four years from 2018 to 2022, at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, a government hospital in northern Uganda. Convenience sampling was employed, where all records related to burns among minors were reviewed, data recorded over the four-year period, and entered in SPSS Ver 26. The data was described and Pearson’s Chi-Square was used to assess association between study variables and to identify risk factors for burns. Significance set at p 0.05. <h3>Results</h3> There was a total of 59 burn cases involving minors during the study period. Frequency of burn injuries among minors was similar (17 cases) in each of the study years 2018–2020. Majority (81.9%, n=59) of burns occurred among minors below 2 years of age. Majority (63.9%) of burns were observed among male minors. Fire was the major (68.9%) cause of burn cases, with scalds to a lesser degree (29.5%) and only one (1) case of mixed burns (1.6%). There was an association between sex of the minor and burn type, with male children significantly (p &lt;0.05) more likely to sustain burns than female children. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Results clearly showed fire burns as the most common, with majority of burn injuries recorded in male minors, and predominantly among those aged 1–2 years admitted in Lira regional referral hospital. Understanding the prevalence of burns and associated factors enables better sensitization and planning to handle the burns burden in minors in the country.