Food Security as a Predictor of Global Pediatric Postburn Mortality

Abstract

Food security (FS) is defined as access to sufficient and nutritious food. Children, especially those in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), are disproportionately affected by low FS. We hypothesized high FS would be predictive of decreased pediatric postburn mortality in LMICs. Publicly-available, deidentified datasets were obtained from the World Health Organization’s Global Burn Registry (GBR) and Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global FS Index (GFSI). The GFSI calculates FS scores annually from intergovernmental organization data reviewed by a panel of experts. FS scores are reported on a 0-100 scale with 100 indicating the highest FS. Patients aged 0-19 years were included; after linking GBR and GFSI datasets, countries with <100 burn patients were excluded. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression controlling for confounders was used to quantify associations between mortality and FS score. Significance was set at p<0.05. From 2016-2020, there were 2,246 cases including 259 deaths (11.5%) over nine countries. Those who died had a higher median age (7 [IQR 2, 15] vs. 3 [2, 6] years, p<0.001), higher proportion of females (48.6% vs. 42.0%, p=0.048), and lower median FS score (55.7 [IQR 45.3, 58.2] vs. 59.8 [IQR 46.7, 65.7], p<0.001). Increasing FS score was associated with decreased odds of postburn mortality [multivariable odds ratio 0.78 (0.73-0.83), p<0.001]. Increasing FS score was associated with decreased pediatric postburn mortality. International efforts to increase FS in LMICs may help improve pediatric burn patient survival.