Epidemiology of Unintentional Burns attending Emergency Departments: Insights from EVITA System 2023
Abstract
Background: Unintentional burns represent a significant global cause of illness and death, particularly among children under four years of age, although they affect individuals in all age groups. In Europe, paediatric populations account for a high proportion of burn, particularly among males aged 0-5 years (56-65%) (6,7). The elderly population also experiences increased vulnerability, with burns occurring more frequently among older women than men (55-58%).
Objectives: To enhance existing knowledge on the epidemiology of unintentional burns treated in hospital emergency departments in Portugal.
Methods: Data from the EVITA surveillance system for 2023 were analysed, including all recorded unintentional burn injuries nationwide. The EVITA system is a health observation tool that monitors Home and Leisure Accidents. For the inferential analysis, a logistic regression model was applied to assess factors associated with victims who suffered an accident requiring emergency department services.
Results: In 2023, EVITA documented 1 489 cases of unintentional burns in Portugal. The majority were caused by scalds (59.8%) and occurred in the home setting (85.2%). Nearly 34% of burns occurred in children and young people up to 19 years, and 19% occurred in children under 4 years old. Burns were most frequent on Saturdays for those under 4 years old (18.2%), Fridays for those aged 5 to 14 (17.4% and 25.7%) and Sundays for those aged 15 to 19 (22.1%). Burns occurring between 9:00 a.m. and 15:59 p.m. (OR = 1.59; 95% CI [1.32–1.91]) and between 16:00 and 23:59 p.m. (OR = 1.77; 95% CI [1.47–2.13]) compared to the period from 00:00 to 8:59 a.m. had higher odds. The highest proportion of burns resulting in hospitalization was observed in younger children under 4 years old.
Conclusions: These findings underscore the need to reinforce burn-prevention strategies in Portugal, particularly targeting young children, household environments, and scald-related injuries.
Key messages: • Designing effective prevention measures depends on a solid understanding of burn epidemiology, which is also crucial for improving healthcare responses.
• The EVITA system provides the necessary information for the characterization of burns.
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BibTeX
@article{alves2026epidemiology,
title = {{Epidemiology of Unintentional Burns attending Emergency Departments: Insights from EVITA System 2023}},
author = {T D Alves and S P Silva and P M Braz and C Aniceto and R Mexia and M Papadakaki and C M Matias-Dias},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1649},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1649},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epidemiology of Unintentional Burns attending Emergency Departments: Insights from EVITA System 2023
AU - T D Alves
AU - S P Silva
AU - P M Braz
AU - C Aniceto
AU - R Mexia
AU - M Papadakaki
AU - C M Matias-Dias
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1649
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1649
AB - Background: Unintentional burns represent a significant global cause of illness and death, particularly among children under four years of age, although they affect individuals in all age groups. In Europe, paediatric populations account for a high proportion of burn, particularly among males aged 0-5 years (56-65%) (6,7). The elderly population also experiences increased vulnerability, with burns occurring more frequently among older women than men (55-58%). Objectives: To enhance existing knowledge on the epidemiology of unintentional burns treated in hospital emergency departments in Portugal. Methods: Data from the EVITA surveillance system for 2023 were analysed, including all recorded unintentional burn injuries nationwide. The EVITA system is a health observation tool that monitors Home and Leisure Accidents. For the inferential analysis, a logistic regression model was applied to assess factors associated with victims who suffered an accident requiring emergency department services. Results: In 2023, EVITA documented 1 489 cases of unintentional burns in Portugal. The majority were caused by scalds (59.8%) and occurred in the home setting (85.2%). Nearly 34% of burns occurred in children and young people up to 19 years, and 19% occurred in children under 4 years old. Burns were most frequent on Saturdays for those under 4 years old (18.2%), Fridays for those aged 5 to 14 (17.4% and 25.7%) and Sundays for those aged 15 to 19 (22.1%). Burns occurring between 9:00 a.m. and 15:59 p.m. (OR = 1.59; 95% CI [1.32–1.91]) and between 16:00 and 23:59 p.m. (OR = 1.77; 95% CI [1.47–2.13]) compared to the period from 00:00 to 8:59 a.m. had higher odds. The highest proportion of burns resulting in hospitalization was observed in younger children under 4 years old. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need to reinforce burn-prevention strategies in Portugal, particularly targeting young children, household environments, and scald-related injuries. Key messages: • Designing effective prevention measures depends on a solid understanding of burn epidemiology, which is also crucial for improving healthcare responses. • The EVITA system provides the necessary information for the characterization of burns.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -