Schools In Rural Areas Research Articles

Literature Study: Educational Management Strategies In Rural Schools

Educational resources are relatively scarce in rural areas, and many abandoned children are in rural areas. Therefore, it needs to be clarified in education and teaching. This study uses a qualitative method with a literature study approach. Data is taken in the form of books and journals taken from Google Scholar with specific keywords according to the needs of the article. From this study, it was found that improving the level of education and management of primary and secondary schools in rural areas is a problem that educators must consider and focus on. Primary and secondary schools should improve relations and update strategies based on different national policies to meet the needs of teaching reform. Improve implementation methods and education management strategies, and provide appropriate strategic support for managing primary and secondary schools in rural areas of different perspectives so that students can improve their cognition and enable them to receive a good education. Based on this, the effective strategy for managing rural primary and secondary education is mainly analyzed further.

Project ECHO telementoring program in epilepsy for school nurses

ObjectivesMany children with epilepsy experience seizures at school. School nurses must have the clinical expertise to deliver high-quality, safe care for students with epilepsy. However, in some regions of the U.S. access to interactive, epilepsy evidence-based education programs is limited. The objective of this project was to assess the feasibility of adapting the Epilepsy Foundation’s (EFs) school nurse education program to the ECHO model and evaluate its impact on school nurse knowledge and self-efficacy in managing epilepsy in students with seizures and program satisfaction. MethodsThe EFs educational program for school nurses was adapted to the ECHO model and delivered by a team of interdisciplinary epilepsy specialists via videoconferencing. Retrospective post-program surveys were administered at program completion. Data from 32 participants with complete post-program surveys were used for the analysis of knowledge and confidence. Descriptive statistics and the sign test were conducted. ResultsParticipants were 166 school nurses from 13 states. The majority had > 15 years of school nurse experience and served schools in suburban or rural areas. Improvements in knowledge and confidence were reported on most survey items. The highest improvements in self-reported knowledge and confidence were in psychosocial aspects of care, comorbidities, and recognition of nonepileptic events. Program satisfaction was rated as high by over 90% of participants. ConclusionsTelementoring using the ECHO methodology is a feasible modality to educate and link epilepsy specialists and providers with school nurses nationwide. Findings suggest that attending the MSS ECHO provided an educational and meaningful learning experience. The gains in knowledge and confidence in psychosocial aspects of epilepsy care and comorbidities highlight the importance of the inclusion of this content in educational programs.

Interactions between Child Labour and Schooling: Parental Perceptions in Rural and Urban Ghana

Understanding the interaction between child labour and schooling in rural and urban areas in Ghana is essential to implement the most appropriate intervention. I aimed to establish parental perceptions of the extent child labour interferes with schooling in rural and urban areas in Ghana. The participants recruited were from Ghana purposively sampled across rural areas (Ankaase, Anwiankwanta and Kensere), and urban areas (Jamestown, Korle Gonno and Chorkor) amongst sixty government officials, NGO representatives, and both parents whose children were and were not involved in child labour. The research utilises semi-structured interviews conducted with parents (ten), stakeholders (ten), focus groups (thirty); and participant observation techniques (ten) utilised to gather the needed data. Interviews were recorded, transcribed utilising a framework approach as the data analysis method. This article finds that the child labour in the rural areas is not always inconsistent with school attendance while, in the urban area, the two activities are incompatible.

Anthropometric indices and academic performance of primary school pupils in Enugu south local government area of Enugu state, Nigeria

Anthropometric indices are commonly used to assess nutritional status, health, and development of children as well as the whole population. Nutritional status depends on dietary intake of food, nutrients, diseases and overall health status, and health care practices, which indirectly affects the educational performances. This study focused on anthropometric indices and academic performance of primary school pupils in rural and urban area of Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the anthropometric indices (height-for –age, weight –for –age and body mass index (BMI- for-age) among primary school pupils, assess the academic performance of primary School pupils and to determine the association of anthropometric indices (nutritional status) of primary school pupils in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State with their academic performance. Descriptive cross sectional research design was utilized for the study; a sample of 434 respondents (from 5 public primary schools in rural and urban areas) was selected through multistage sample technique. 420 copies of questionnaire were completely returned giving a response rate of 96.7%. Data were collected using researcher’s structured questionnaire on anthropometric indices and academic performance of primary school children. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation and chi square with the use of SPSS Version 23.0 at P< 0.01. The results showed that a lesser proportion of primary school pupils were moderately stunted (2.1% ) regarding height –for-age, moderately underweight (19.8% ) regarding weight –for-age and moderately thin (3.8% ) regarding BMI –for –age. Higher proportion of pupils in Schools in rural area were moderately thin, stunted and underweight than those in Urban areas (13.8%, 9.2% and 21.8%) respectively. 28.1% of the respondents had low score of < 50%, 41.7 % had average score of 50 % -74 % and 30.2 % had high score of >75 % in their academic performance. A greater proportion of the pupils were rated as average. Higher proportion of pupils in rural area had low academic performance (29.9 %).There was significant association between anthropometric indices and academic performance (P < 0.01). Health promotion and nutritional information should be disseminated as a matter of urgency to parents and caregivers of the children because they play a great role in meeting the nutritional needs of the children as well as determining their nutritional status.

Problems of informatization of rural schools within the framework of the National Project “Education”

The education system is a significant component of the socio-economic development of any state, since it directly affects the development and formation of human capital. The special role of the school in rural areas is not one of just an educational organization, it is primarily an “anchor” for the preservation of rural settlements, a symbol that the village has prospects and a future. The purpose of the presented study is to assess the state of information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural schools, taking into account the impact of the National Project (NP) “Education”. The main research methods were methods of comparative analysis, data comparison, exponential smoothing. As a result of the conducted research, a forecast was made of the number of students in the general education system in rural areas and school institutions in rural areas at the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year. The forecast revealed the risk of not achieving the targets of NP “Education” in rural areas, including in the field of ICT. The practical significance of the research results lies in the fact that the obtained forecast results allow us to take a number of necessary measures to prevent possible risks of not achieving the indicators. It is necessary to review the mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness and achievability of the indicators laid down in the NP, increase funding and the pace of creating new school places in rural areas, increase the availability of modern information resources and equipment.

EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SICK BUILDING SYNDROME PREVALENCE AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) prevalence and indoor air quality in primary and middle schools in rural and urban areas in the west of Turkey. This cross-sectional study was carried out between September and November 2018 in three randomly selected schools in rural and urban areas. The questionnaire designed to reveal perceived indoor air quality and SBS was completed by the parents of the students. On determined days, particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were measured in the classrooms. Multiple logistic regression model was developed to investigate the relationship between SBS and some variables. The study was conducted on 966 students. The prevalence of SBS was found to be 10.2%. The most common SBS symptoms were listed as fatigue, nasal congestion-discharge, cough, and headache, respectively. The measured PM2.5, PM10, and CO2 values were higher in the urban area than in the rural area. The risk of SBS was found to be higher in primary school students, in students who have poor perceived classroom air, lighting, and noise quality, and in students studying in classrooms with higher PM2.5, PM10, and CO2 values. One in ten students had SBS. There was a relationship between SBS and poor perceived indoor air quality and increased CO2 and PM values. Raising awareness about SBS and conducting studies aimed at improving related factors in schools are thought to be important.

Prevalence of anaemia and factors influencing anaemia among school going adolscents in urban and rural area of a North Karnataka: A comparitive study

Adolescents are defined as the age group between 10-19 years according to WHO.During adolescence; anaemia is prevalent in both girls and boys indicating that they need higher nutritional requirement for their rapid physical, mental growth and development. To estimate the prevalence of anaemia and its associated factors among rural and urban school going adolescents in North Karnataka. An observational study was conducted among the school going adolescents (10-19 years) studying in Government schools in rural and urban field practice area. All the Government schools were included in sampling frame and students were selected using simple random sampling technique. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory test were done. Haemoglobin estimation using Sahli’s method. Data was entered in MS Excel and analysed using SPSS v22. Statistical measures used were percentage, chi square test as test of significance and was evaluated at 95% confidence level (p <0.05). Total prevalence of anaemia among adolescents was 80.28%, more in rural adolescents (88.88%) compared to urban (71.67%). Maximum prevalence was of moderate anaemia 193 (53.61%) more in rural 63.89% compared to urban area 43.33%. Maximum prevalence was of moderate anaemia in both the areas which was more in girls compared to boys.

ACTIVE METHODOLOGIES IN GEOGRAPHY TEACHING: POSSIBLITIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN RURAL AREAS, PIAUÍ/PI

Public schools in rural areas belong to a reality far removed from the others, and when looking for new ways to teach the discipline of Geography, the teacher encounters difficulties. Thinking about this issue, the main objective of this work is to use simple and low-cost resources that may contribute to the teaching-learning process of Geography in these schools. Having as justification the need to think about the use of cheap recreational resources or without any expense in the teaching-learning process, given the difficulty of having access to expensive materials or those that require advanced technology. This work was carried out in stages from an approach through action research, a bibliographical survey was carried out; studies with the textbook, realization of didactic sequences, elaboration of instruments and systematization of data on active methodologies. The main results demonstrated the various possibilities for the use of active
 methodologies in teaching geography in schools in the rural area of any municipality, mainly with the use of didactic resources existing in the school reality itself, that is, teachers and students. It is concluded that schools in rural areas lack infrastructure, but this is not an obstacle for the Geography teacher to be able to study Active Methodologies with his/her students; on the contrary, in any school environment it is possible for the student to be able to learn using various resources, what really has to be done is the adaptation to reality, so that there is no difficulty in its application, that is, despite real problems it is possible to use accessible teaching resources, what really needs to be done is the adaptation to the reality in which the institution and students belong.

Green school outdoor environments, greater equity? Assessing environmental justice in green spaces around Dutch primary schools

Green spaces around schools contribute to children's health and wellbeing. However, only a few studies have examined whether green space provision around schools in urban and rural areas are equally available across socioeconomic groups. We assessed whether and to what extent the green space provision of public primary schoolyards differs cross-sectionally across demographic and socioeconomic neighborhood profiles in the Netherlands. A fine-grained measure of green space (e.g., lawns, hedges, and trees) was applied to 5,773 school locations centering buffers at 50 m, 100 m, and 500 m. Fitting spatial lag regression models to the data, our results showed robust and inverse associations between available green school outdoor environments and low-income and less-educated neighborhoods. The percentage of non-Western migrants was positively associated. No evidence showed greenness around schools differing across levels of urbanization; however, schools with subsidy schemes supporting schoolyard greening tended to be greener. Our overall findings highlight socioeconomic disparities in green school outdoor environments across the Netherlands. To bridge this gap in environmental justice, we advocate for each child to have the ability to benefit equally from schoolyard green spaces by enabling more comprehensive greening subsidy schemes.

Developing rural Chinese children’s computational thinking through ­game-based learning and parental involvement

The lack of teachers and equipment is a major obstacle to the implementation of Computational Thinking (CT) in education, particularly for rural schools. Although CT education has been investigated for many years, less attention has been paid to lower primary schools in rural areas. This study contributes to filling this gap by investigating the impact of three different learning approaches on the CT of grade-two primary school students in a rural area in China. Seventy-seven students were randomly assigned to three learning approaches, namely traditional lectures, Game-Based Learning (GBL) using a newly designed board game in classrooms, and GBL with parental involvement. The findings showed that both GBL approaches (i.e., with and without parents) significantly enhanced the students’ CT skills compared to the traditional approach. The findings also showed that the GBL approach with parental involvement significantly enhanced students’ attitudes toward learning CT compared with the other two approaches.

Relationship of Social Determinants and Physical Activity among Adolescents with Risk of Obesity in Rural Areas of Indonesia

Physical inactivity in adolescents can increase the risk of obesity which has the potential of negative impacts onthe physical and psychological health of adolescents. It can also increase the incidence of non-communicablediseases in adulthood. This study aimed to identify the relationship between social determinants and physicalactivity among adolescents with the risk of obesity in rural Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was conductedat two senior high schools in rural areas of Indonesia on 134 respondents that were selected by using a simplerandom sampling technique. Data were collected using a demographic data questionnaire and Physical ActivityQuestionnaire-Adolescents (PAQ-A). The results of analysis by using the Chi-square test showed a significantrelationship between parental education and physical activity among adolescents with the risk of obesity (P =0.002). Meanwhile, gender (P = 1.000), parental occupation (P = 0.474), and parental income (P = 0.317) showedthat there was no significant relationship with physical activity among adolescents with the risk of obesity,respectively. It is suggested that the relevant senior high schools collaborate with public health centers to providehealth education for parents of adolescents, especially those with low formal education, about the importance ofphysical activity for adolescents’ health.

Improvement on manufacturing processing time of AAC Block

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was invented in 1920s. AAC is composed of lime, cement, sand, fly ash and aluminum powder, which is the component that plays an important role in creating air voids, an essential factor of the AAC. The production process of the AAC block comprises of stages such as: mixing, casting, cutting, autoclaving, etc. All of the stages are conducted in an eco-friendly manner. The AAC is also called the future of construction materials because of its light weight feature when compared to red bricks along with excellent sound/heat insulation. AAC Blocks will help to reduce the use of cement, sand together with steel and other materials in the construction work. AAC Blocks can be used for both interior and exterior construction. In many construction projects, the AAC block is a more expensive choice than the red brick but the AAC blocks are more often used due to its cheap total construction value. Application of AAC block is very wide such as in industrial constructions, commercial buildings, offices, schools in rural areas, especially in fast construction of houses. The AAC blocks use cement mortar to bond and require a thinner layer than red bricks. Although the bond layer is very thin at only a few millimeters, the strength of the bond is very strong in both cases of load bearing and non-load bearing walls. The AAC Block has many more advantages when compared to other brick types in the construction market, however, the manufacturing process still needs improving to compete with itself in the future. AAC is a kind of cast concrete. The manufacturing process consists of: First, the sand, cement, lime, water, aluminum powder with a reasonable ratio is mixed well until the mixture is slurry. Secondly, the mixture is poured into the mold and left in the mold for a few hours. Thirdly, a transportation device helps to unmold and move the products to the cutting area. At the cutting area, the mixture is cut into blocks and proceeds to the autoclave under heat and pressure for 10 hours. There are many approaches to decrease the manufacturing time of AAC blocks. The main focus of the previous approaches is the forming of air voids when casting. In the traditional method, the aluminum powder will react with calcium hydroxide and water to create hydrogen gas which results in the creation of foam within the concrete. This method takes a long period of time for the reaction to complete. To reduce the time needed, some researchers use air or different reaction methods to create the foam. In this paper, a new approach will be introduced. The reduction of time will be focused on the waiting time before the cutting by measuring the time needed for the material to reach the suitable hardness. Among the 4 stages in producing AAC blocks, the paper will focus on improvement the process of molding and unmolding to reduce the amount of time and also keeping the quality suitable. The paper also presents the method to measure the hardness of the mixture of lime, sand, etc. before cutting.

Literacy and Numeracy Teaching and Learning in Pandemic Outbreak: A Case Study of Private Primary School in Rural Area

Literacy and Numeracy Teaching and Learning in Pandemic Outbreak: A Case Study of Private Primary School in Rural Area. Objective: This research aims to portray the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy in a private school in rural area with few students in each class. Methods: The research method employed is descriptive qualitative. Data revealed that students doing Kampus Mengajar Angkatan 1 (KMA-1) or student teacher taught literacy and numeracy lesson through playing games and singing. Finding: The teaching procedures are claimed in three phases – pre, while and post. The teaching and learning process during the pandemic was carried out in various ways such as using videos and using games and singing. Conclusion: Students’ challenges are lack of vocabulary and its meaning. Teachers need to develop their teaching and learning based on student and school characteristics. This is done to develop student learning motivation, literacy, and student numeracy can improve Keywords: literacy, numeracy, rural area, private primary school. Abstrak: Pembelajaran Literasi dan Numerasi di Masa Wabah Pandemi: Studi Kasus SD Swasta di Pedesaan. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan pembelajaran literasi dan numerasi di sekolah swasta dengan jumlah siswa sangat terbatas di pedesaan. Metode: Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif. Data mengungkapkan bahwa mahasiswa yang melakukan Kampus Mengajar Angkatan 1 (KMA-1) atau mahasiswa magang mengajar melaksanakan pelajaran literasi dan numerasi (berhitung) dengan permainan dan bernyanyi. Temuan: Prosedur pengajaran diklaim dalam tiga fase - awal, inti dan penutup. Proses belajar mengajar di masa pandemi dilakukan dengan berbagai cara seperti menggunakan video dan menggunakan permainan dan nyanyian. Kesimpulan: Tantangan siswa adalah kurangnya kosakata dan makna kata. Sebagai kesimpulan, guru perlu mengembangkan pembelajaran berdasarkan karakteristik sekolah dan siswa. Hal ini dilakukan untuk mengembangkan motivasi belajar siswa, literasi, dan numerasi siswa dapat meningkat Kata kunci: literasi, numerasi, pedesaan, SD swasta. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpp.v13.i2.202301

Is financial resource the only factor that causes low opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in school

Our research objectives are to investigate the effect of household income, the region of residence, and gender on the opportunity of children with disabilities (CWDs) to attend school, to propose policy implications for increasing the quality of CWDs in Indonesia. Our research uses the national socio-economic survey data from BPS Statistics Indonesia in 2018 and uses sub-sample of CWDs, with ages 6 to 18 years. The analysis involved is a cross-tabulation analysis and the multinomial logit model. The results highlight the positive effect of household income on the opportunity of attending school among CWDs. The chance of CWDs to drop out of school in rural areas is higher than in urban areas. Both boys and girls have a high risk of dropping out of school. For CWDs in rural areas, the main problem is not to encourage CWDs to participate in schools, but rather to keep them in school.

A Comparative Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude of School Going Children Regarding Importance of Personal Hygiene in Selected Rural and Urban Schools of Ludhiana, Punjab

Background: The study’s objectives were to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and relationship between rural and urban school-aged children’s knowledge and attitudes about personal hygiene. Methods: The study used a comparative research design. A stratified random sample selection procedure was utilized. One hundred samples (50 from rural areas and 50 from cities) were selected. The population of the study was rural and urban school going children 9–11 years. To examine the data, descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Results: The survey concluded that 40% (20) of rural schoolchildren and 44% (22) of urban schoolchildren had strong knowledge. About 96% (48) urban and 88% (44) rural schoolchildren valued personal cleanliness. The mean knowledge score of urban schoolchildren was 19.48, higher than rural children 16.52, and their mean attitude score was 74.18, much higher than rural children 68.10. The mean knowledge score of rural and urban children was statistically significant for age, mother’s education, and source of information, but not for household type or monthly income. In rural children, class was significant while gender was non-significant. The mean attitude score of rural and urban school children was statistically significant for age, gender, class, but not for mother education, type of family, family monthly income, or source of information. Based on the study, rural and urban school children received personal hygiene advice. When feasible, guidelines should be flexible. Conclusion: Children attending schools in urban areas had better knowledge than those attending schools in rural areas, but both groups of students shared a favorable outlook on the value of good personal hygiene.

Global Evidence Of Pandemic Effects On Educational Disruption

The article provides a vivid illustration of the challenges faced by the education sector during the pandemic. Education disruptions have increased stress and anxiety in students and their families. In addition to this, schools in rural areas and underdeveloped countries failed to provide the necessary equipment and facilities to help the students proceed with online classes. These articles have relied on secondary data and information to understand various concepts and theories. In order to combat these consequences, a worldwide initiative called REDS was formed to analyze the opinion of students and individuals connected with the education sector and remodel the system for combating the challenges posed by the pandemic. The study proceeded with the help of thematic analysis.

COVID-19 vaccination among adolescents: A cross-sectional study in rural India

Background: In December 2019 when the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak appeared it was thought to affect mainly adult population while majority of children were not affected and showed only mild symptoms unlike adults. During this period in the emergency common strategy that was followed was shutting down schools in most countries to control rapid raise of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Extended vaccination for children in the age group of 15–18 years was started in India since January 3, 22 with COVAXIN vaccine. This study was intended to gain knowledge about vaccination pattern and status of adverse event following immunisation among children. Aims and Objectives: To assess pattern of coronavirus disease (COVID) vaccination among school going adolescents. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in rural field practice area of a medical college in South India. It was conducted over a period of 2 months at schools in rural field practice area of medical college. Data was collected from the study participants (15–18 years) pertaining to demographic details, information related to COVID appropriate behavior, vaccination and AEFIs. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.00. Results: Total number of participants enrolled in the study were 126. A total of 124 out of 126 were vaccinated with at least a dose of COVAXIN. Overall 94 (75.8%) and 18 (36.7%) of the participants suffered from AEFI following 1st and 2nd dose respectively. AEFIs in were found to be mild and non-serious. Out of 126 participants, three diagnosed with COVID-19 infection post vaccination. None among three required hospitalization. Majority of them followed wearing mask, handwashing and use of hand sanitizer as COVID appropriate behavior. Conclusion: Based on our sample included in our study, it reflects that vaccination coverage and acceptance was better among adolescents. Among adolescents who received COVID-19 vaccination most of them experienced mild AEFI just like adults.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in Brazilian adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective:To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components among Brazilian adolescents.Data source:Databases, such as LILACS, MEDLINE, and SciELO, were searched for original cross-sectional studies published between 2010 and 2021. The inclusion criteria were determined based on the mnemonic CoCoPop — Condition, Context, and Population: studies determining the prevalence of MS and its components (condition) in the general population of Brazilian adolescents, female and male (population), enrolled in public or private schools in rural or urban areas (context). Reviews, editorials, and articles that did not directly relate to the prevalence of MS or that included non-adolescent age groups or groups with specific health conditions (obesity/overweight and others) were excluded.Data synthesis:A total of 15 studies, including 43,227 adolescents, were identified. MS prevalence (95% confidence interval [95%CI]) was 2.9% (2.65–3.18) and 2.4% (1.90–2.90) (p<0.001) in males and females, respectively, by using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. There was a significant difference in MS prevalence among Brazilian regions (Q=24.7; p<0.001). The lowest MS prevalence (95%CI) was determined for North Region of Brazil, 1.8% (1.52–2.13), and the highest for Northeast Region of Brazil, 2.9% (2.62–3.23). Regarding MS components, a higher prevalence (95%CI) was found for low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), 22.1% (12.49–36.17), followed by abdominal obesity, 11.0% (8.05–14.94), and arterial hypertension, 10.3% (7.84–13.48).Conclusions:This study allowed the determination of the prevalence of MS and the MS components in Brazilian adolescents, highlighting relevant aspects to be addressed on public health management.

Association between Child Abuse, Depression, and School Bullying among Chinese Secondary School Students.

School bullying is a serious social and public health problem. This article aims to explore the association between experiences of childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying, especially considering the mediating effects of depression. The sample of this study was 3059 students (1584 males and 1475 females) aged from 12 to 20, in eleven Chinese secondary schools, which included six middle schools, four high schools, and one vocational high school in both urban and rural areas. The multinomial logit regression and linear regression were conducted by the two gender groups, to determine the mediating effect of depression in the association between child abuse experiences and involvement in school bullying. This study indicated that female students were less likely to be involved in school bullying. Male students were more represented in the bully-victim group and experienced more physical and mental abuse during childhood. Depression was a mediator between childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying. Nevertheless, there was a gender difference in that depression fully mediated the relationship between the two variables among female students, while it only partially meditated such a relationship for male students. These findings indicate that more school-based service interventions and evidence-based research are needed to more thoroughly investigate school bullying and its predictors in China.

The Latent Class Analysis of Adverse Childhood Experiences among Chinese Children and Early Adolescents in Rural Areas and Their Association with Depression and Suicidal Ideation

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a global public health concern that is detrimental to the psychological outcomes of Chinese children in rural areas due to the lack of public awareness of ACEs and mental health resources. The objective of this study was to identify the patterns of ACEs and the impact of ACE patterns on depression and suicidal ideation among 4683 students (mean age = 10.08 years, SD = 0.99; 48.17% female students) from 63 elementary schools in rural areas in Guizhou Province, China. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify the best class pattern. A three-step approach was undertaken to explore the association between the class patterns and demographic covariates and depression and suicidal thoughts. An overall three-class pattern of ACEs was identified, which was: (1) high ACEs, (2) high verbal abuse and emotional neglect and low household dysfunction, and (3) low ACEs. The results also showed that children in the high ACEs class tended to show higher depression rates and more frequent suicidal ideation across the three groups. Being female and younger and having a lower socioeconomic status were risk factors. Our study identified a class pattern that was not found in previous research, which is high verbal abuse and emotional neglect and low household dysfunction.