Abstract
To estimate the prevalence of suicide attempts and explore the shared and unique factors influencing suicide risk in left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (NLBC) in rural China, this study collected data using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method from 13,952 children including 6,034 LBC and 7,918 NLBC. Sociodemographic characteristics, suicide attempts, neglect and physical abuse, negative life events, and loneliness were measured by self-reported questionnaires. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Gender and mother's education level were unique influential factors for NLBC while family structure type was a unique influential factor for LBC. The study provides two novel findings regarding NLBC specifically: 1. Children with optimal family socioeconomic status are more likely to report suicide attempts (odds ratio OR = 1)than are those in the general children population, OR 0.52 (95% CI: 0.39–0.70), and 2. Children with higher mother’s education level are subject to higher suicide rates in high school, OR 1.67 (95% CI: 1.13–2.46), and post-secondary education, OR 2.14 (95% CI: 1.37–3.37). The unique characteristics of LBC and NLBC in China suggest that investigating risk factors and determining the factors that might be targeted in intervention programs are urgently needed currently.
Highlights
Suicide is a global health problem and a major public health concern
Excluding those who refused to participate in the study and who were absent from school, a total of 15,600 students were recruited in our study, and a consent letter was sent to their parents or guardians
Positive factors were higher in the non-left-behind children (NLBC) group than in the left-behind children (LBC) group, and vice versa
Summary
Suicide is a global health problem and a major public health concern. It is among the top causes of mortality worldwide, especially among adolescents in the West and developing countries [1]. Since suicide is a potentially preventable public health issue, it is important to examine its immediate precursors, especially suicide attempts (SAs), which refer to direct efforts to intentionally end one’s own life, to aid in the development of future public health interventions [2,3]. Adolescents’ suicidal behavior has been reported to be associated with genetic, psychological, social, and familial factors with particular risks related to childhood adversities [4]. Many studies have pointed out a strong and graded association between exposure to adverse.
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