Competence and physical impairment of pediatric survivors of burns of more than 80% total body surface area

Children who survive massive burn injuries are challenged by the physical sequelae of their injuries as they return to normal daily routines. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of physical impairment on the competence of such children as they pursued their lives. It was hypothesized that children who survive burn injuries of more than 80% total body surface area would be less competent than their unburned peers, and that competence would decrease with increased physical impairment. Competence for the 19 patients was assessed by parental report using the Child Behavior Checklist and by the patient's self-report on the Youth Self-Report. Physical impairment scores were calculated from range of motion measurements of upper and lower extremities according to AMA guidelines. Competence scores for the sample were within normal ranges. Physical impairment was significantly related to competence only in the area of activity on both the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report.