Development of national neglect norm for urban primary school students of China / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop the national neglect norms for urban primary school students in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to multi-stage stratified cluster sampling principle, 24 cities of 13 provinces (municipalities) in China were selected during December 1 to 31, 2008. A total of 1491 students in grade 1 - 3 and 2236 students in grade 4 - 6 were selected. Questionnaire was designed by authors and the final norms were determined through several statistical analysis methods, such as item analysis method, factor analysis method, reliability analysis method. The reliability analysis and validity analysis were used to test the stability and reliability of the norms. The evaluation criteria of the scale was determined by the percentile method, then the initial development of the norm was completed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two questionnaires of grade 1 - 3 and grade 4 - 6 students consisted of 55 and 57 items, respectively, whose item loadings were ranged from 0.301 to 0.687 and 0.321 to 0.730, which met the statistical requirements. For grade 1 - 3 students, the scale's total Cronbach α coefficients was 0.914, the total split-half reliability coefficients was 0.896, the Cronbach α coefficients of four level was above 0.737 except medical and social neglect, split-half reliability was ranged from 0.461 to 0.757; for grade 4-6 students, the scale's total Cronbach α coefficients was 0.916, split-half reliability was 0.883, except social neglect, the Cronbach α coefficients of other level was ranged 0.457 to 0.856, split-half reliability was ranged from 0.500 to 0.798. The total neglect cut-off score of the two scales grade 1-3 and 4-6 were 125 and 155, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The structure of two norms was reasonable. The scales have good stability and reliability.</p>

Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among 2508 college students in 6 provinces of China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To assess the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in college students and to explore the association of CSA with youth mental health problem. ethods A retrospective survey was conducted among 2508 students (females 1360, males 1148) in Nov. 2003to Mar. 2004. The students were from 6 colleges/universities in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu,Shaanxi and Anhui provinces of China. Results Of the 2508 students, 24.8% of females and 17.6%of males reported one or more types of nonphysical contact CSA (females 20.0% vs.males 14.6%) or/and physical contact CSA (females 14.1% vs. males 7.8% ) before the age of 16 years. Risk of any CSA was not associated with the existence of siblings (one-child vs. two-or more child families),rural/non-rural residence during childhood, or parental education. Compared with their peers who had no CSA, the students with CSA showed significantly higher mean scores of psychological symptoms of somatization, obsessiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. Conclusion The problem of CSA was not uncommonand there was a significant correlation between CSA experience and students mental health problems.More attention should be paid on CSA prevention and provision of health services for the victims.

Study on' dating violence' in 697 male university students / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the prevalence of 'dating violence' in male university students. Methods Six hundred and ninety-seven male students from a university were surveyed by self-administered questionnaire anonymously. Results Of the 697 male students, 73.5%(512/697) had a dating relationship or a dating meeting with the females. Among the 512 male students, 29.7% had physically (7.0%), psychologically (27.7%), or sexually (2.1%) aggressive behaviors to their partners while 25.2% of them had experienced aggression by their partners, physically (10.4%), psychologically (21.9%) or sexually (1.6%) in the past 12 months. Students having had physical punishment and emotional abuse during childhood by their parents were more likely to be involved in dating violence, when compared with the students who had no such experiences. Conclusion The problem of male students dating violence is not uncommon, suggesting that program on school and community-based prevention education and health services need to be developed.

A retrospective survey of childhood corporal punishment by school teachers in students / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To ascertain the prevalence of childhood corporal punishment by teachers in students, to explore the influencing factors and associations between childhood corporal punishment and psychological problems.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Five hundred and twenty-eight students from a college and a technical secondary school in Hebei province were surveyed by self-administered questionnaire anonymously in Dec. 2004. The questionnaire used for this survey mainly included (1) general demographic information; (2) 5 forms of childhood corporal punishments, in this study, cases of teachers' corporal punishments were defined as those who answered positively one or more of the 5 questions relating to childhood corporal punishment by school teachers occurring before the age of 16 years; (3) Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90); (4) Youth Risk Behaviours.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Overall, 57.6% of students reported having been corporally punished at least one time, one of four forms of corporal punishment by teachers before age of 16 years, the four forms corporal punishment were non-contact corporal punishment, e.g., running for punishment, repeat-doing homework many times for punishment, standing for punishment, kneel down for punishment, not allowing to eat, sending outside in winter, etc. (53.4%), hitting/kicking/pushing very hard with open hands/fist/feet/other part of body (16.1%), beating with an object (10.2%), and locking in a small compartment/tying with rope (0.2%). No students reported having been choked, or burned/scalded, or stabbed with a sharp object by the teachers. Males had a significantly higher overall prevalence rate than females (66.4% vs. 46.6%, chi(2) = 21.01, P = 0.000). There was no statistically significant association between a history of childhood corporal punishment and the three other demographic indicators, which included residence region (rural and non-rural area) prior to 16 years of age, parental education level, and whether the respondent lived in a single or multiple children family. Compared with their peers who had not experienced childhood corporal punishment by teachers, the students with two or more forms of corporal punishments by teachers showed significantly higher scores (punished group vs. unpunished group) of psychological symptoms of somatization (0.78 vs. 0.42), obsessiveness (1.22 vs. 0.98), interpersonal sensitivity (1.24 vs. 0.89), depression (1.06 vs. 0.76), anxiety (0.90 vs. 0.64), hostility (1.11 vs. 0.68), paranoid ideation (1.11 vs. 0.71) and psychoticism (0.84 vs. 0.56), and showed significantly higher rates in sadness (54.7% vs. 26.3%), drunk (37.2% vs. 20.1%), involving in physical fighting (15.1% vs. 3.6%) in the past year and current smoking (36.0% vs. 14.5%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The problem of corporal punishment by teachers is common in schools, and the problem has a significant correlation with youth mental health problems. The results highlighted urgent needs to increase public awareness on children rights, creating learning-friendly environment in school.</p>

A retrospective survey in child sexual abuse among 565 university students / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the child sexual abuse (CSA) experiences and its associations with self-reported mental health status and risky behaviors among university students.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective survey was conducted in 565 undergraduate students, from a university in northeast China, by anonymous self-administered questionnaire in September 2003. Research subjects were asked on a series of retrospective questions about CSA, as well as questions on depression, self-esteem, symptoms of psychological disease and risky behaviours.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Prevalence of any unwanted sexual experience before the age of 16 years was 20.0% for females and 14.3% for males. 11.3% of females and 7.7% of males reported ever having had at least one type of physical contact abuse. The students with CSA were with more depression, lower health self-evaluation; more symptoms in somatization, hostility, obsessive and anxiety. More students reported to have experienced sexual intercourse, been drunk, and suicide ideation than unaffected students.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results indicated that unwanted child sexual abuse was not uncommon, and associated with poor mental health. The findings highlighted the urgent need for sexual abuse prevention programs and mental health services for victims in China.</p>

Child sexual abuse: a study among 892 female students of a medical school / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was designed to ascertain the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) among female students of a medical school and to explore the impact of CSA on the mental health and health related risk behaviors of the victims being sexually abused and to provide useful reference for CSA prevention.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 892 female students from a medical school by anonymous self-administered questionnaire during Oct. 2002. The questionnaire used for this study mainly included (1) general demographic information; (2) sexual experiences; (3) 12 forms of CSA. In this study, cases of CSA were defined as those who answered positively to one or more of the 12 questions relating to childhood sexual experiences (including non-physical contact CSA and physical contact CSA) occurring before age 16 with a person when a child did not want to. (4) Center for Epidemiologic Studies (CES)-Depression Scale; (5) Self Esteem Scale; (6) Risk Behaviors; (7) Health status' self-evaluation. Survey procedures were designed to protect students' privacy by allowing anonymous and voluntary participation. Students were seated separately, completed the self-administered questionnaire in their classrooms during a regular class period. Respondents were encouraged to participate in this survey, but given the sensitive nature of the subject, they could skip portion of the questionnaire if they were not comfortable with the questions. The completed questionnaires were sealed in envelopes by students themselves (the envelope was distributed with questionnaire at the same time), and then collected together. Data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Frequency, percentage, Chi-square test and t-test of statistics were used to analyze the CSA prevalence and explore the influence of CSA on mental health of students.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 892 female students, 25.6% reported having experienced CSA (any one of 12 forms non-physical contact and physical contact CSA) before the age of 16 years. The median age at first episode was 12 years. Comparing the rates of CSA of female students in different parents' education level, between one-child in a family and more than one-child in a family, among rural area, county and city, there were no significant differences. Compared to the students who had not experienced CSA, the students who had experienced CSA reported higher levels of depression (CES-D score 18.78 vs. 16.68, t = 2.81, P = 0.005), lower levels of health status self-evaluation (score 3.53 vs. 3.78, t = 2.94, P = 0.003); higher proportion of subjects who reported drinking alcohol and having ever smoked during the past 30 days (drinking 32.7% vs. 22.9%, chi(2) = 8.51, P = 0.004; smoking 8.8% vs. 4.4%, chi(2) = 6.17, P = 0.013); a higher percentage engaged in sexual intercourse (19.3% vs. 5.9%, chi(2) = 33.48, P = 0.000); ever seriously considered attempting suicide (23.7% vs. 15.4%, chi(2) = 8.09, P = 0.004), making a plan about how would attempt suicide (17.9% vs. 9.7%, chi(2) = 10.62, P = 0.001), being threatened or injured by someone with a weapon such as a knife, or club on school property (3.5% vs. 1.1%, chi(2) = 6.17, P = 0.013), being involved in physical fight (16.7% vs. 5.6%, chi(2) = 27.05, P = 0.000) during the 12 months preceding the survey.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results further showed that the CSA of girls in our country is not uncommon, as reported before in our country and in the other countries and is associated with poor mental health and risky behaviors. The findings highlight the urgent need for the further research into CSA epidemiological characteristics, health services for the victims abused sexually, sexual abuse prevention programs in schools and the general community in China.</p>