Association Between Scar Formation and Stigma in Survivors of Deep Burns to Sensitive Areas

Abstract

Survivors of burns to sensitive areas can develop scars of different degrees and are highly likely to experience stigma. However, current evidence on the association between scar formation and stigma in survivors of burns to these sensitive areas is limited and inconsistent. The objective was to determine whether scar formation is independently associated with stigma in survivors of burns to sensitive areas. 109 survivors of deep burns to sensitive areas were selected via convenience sampling to fill out a questionnaire. The degree of stigma was evaluated with the Social Influence Scale (SIS). R software version 4.3.0 was used to perform t-tests and logistic regression analyses. After adjusting for age, sex, education level, occupation, marital status, means of medical payment, proportion of medical insurance reimbursement, total score of disability acceptance, and perceived social support score, scar formation was associated only with the degree of social marginalization (odds ratio = 1.199, 95% confidence interval: 1.002–1.436). Scar formation increases the degree of stigma among survivors of deep burns to sensitive areas. If scar formation cannot be prevented, active rehabilitation treatments should be adopted in the early stages of scar formation to reduce the degree of resulting stigma.