Abstract
Studies evaluating the factors associated with under reporting and with the recognition and reporting of child physical abuse are scarce and highly necessary. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of recognition and reporting of child physical abuse (CPA) by Brazilian dentistsin primary care and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of dentistsfrom the Family Health Strategy in Belo Horizonte. A self-administered questionnaire validated to Brazilian Portuguesewas used for data collection. Statistical analysis included univariate and multiple analyses through Poisson regression. A total of 181dentists participated in the study. Among them, 73 (40.3%) had already recognized some cases of CPA, but only 11 (6.1%) ended up reporting. Dentists with six to 19 years of experience as a municipal worker presented 2.38 times [PR = 2.38 (95%CI: 1.29-4.41)] more probability to recognize cases of CPA than the ones with less than six years. Having a graduate degree with a major in childcare [PR = 4.50 (95%CI: 1.08-18.68)] was associated with a larger number of reports. The employment duration as municipal worker was positively associated with the recognition of CPA cases and the prevalence of reporting was low.
Highlights
Since children and adolescents are more vulnerable and dependent, they are often subjected to abuse which, in most cases, occurs in their homes and it is perpetrated by closer individuals[1,2,3,4]
According to a survey published in 2017 by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in 2013 there were 29,784 reports of violence against children aged less than ten years, 50,634 reports against adolescents aged ten to 19 years and approximately 26% of the reported cases had already suffered some sort of maltreatment in the past[8]
Long-term professionals working in the municipality were associated with a larger number of recognition of child physical abuse (CPA) and professionals who had a graduate degree with major in child care were associated with a larger number of reports
Summary
Since children and adolescents are more vulnerable and dependent, they are often subjected to abuse which, in most cases, occurs in their homes and it is perpetrated by closer individuals[1,2,3,4]. According to a survey published in 2017 by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in 2013 there were 29,784 reports of violence against children aged less than ten years, 50,634 reports against adolescents aged ten to 19 years and approximately 26% of the reported cases had already suffered some sort of maltreatment in the past[8]. This high incidence makes violencea public health problem, in itself, and for affecting individual and collective health and demanding intersectoral endeavor for its prevention and treatment[8,9]
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