Determinants of Prehospital Management of Superficial Burns in Pediatric Patients at Health Facilities in Mazabuka District: A Cross-Sectional Study

Only 13.1% (44/337) of caregivers of children aged 0–15 years with superficial burns in Mazabuka District provided good prehospital first aid.

• Why it matters: Early home management is important for recovery, but harmful practices remain common and determinants of prehospital care in Zambia are not well described.
• What they did: In a cross-sectional study (September–December 2025) at three health facilities, 337 caregivers were interviewed and clinical records reviewed; good vs poor care was analyzed with Firth penalised logistic regression (AORs, 95% CIs).
• The result: Good care was linked to shorter time to reach a facility (AOR 0.96; 95% CI 0.94–0.98; p<0.001), younger caregiver age (AOR 0.92; 95% CI 0.86–0.98; p=0.011), older child age (AOR 1.25; 95% CI 1.10–1.43; p<0.001), and lower odds in urban residence (AOR 0.22; 95% CI 0.05–0.92; p=0.038).

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