ANALYSIS OF CHILD MALTREATMENT IN OVERWEIGHT / OBESE CHILDREN

Yuliia Tsyunchyk

Keywords: overweight, obesity, maltreatment, children

Background:

Child maltreatment is a global problem. Neglect is the most common type of child maltreatment and is caregiver failure to meet basic nutritional, medical, educational, and emotional needs of a child. Maltreatment can be triggered by caregivers with inadequate resources interacting with a vulnerable child.

Research questions:

To verify the risk factors of the maltreatment in overweight / obese children.

Method:

Analysis of child maltreatment were identified by survey and anonymous questioning of 328 overweight children, 364 obese children, and 256 control children, and their parents (1286). Statistical processing of the received data was performed using programs Excel 2010, Statistika 10.

Results:

We identified the most significant socio-economic, family and personal factors.
The significance of socio-economic factors has been detected for poverty (OR in overweight girls was 1.95 (95% CI 1.05–3.64%), in obese girls – 3.66 (95% CI 2.03–6.58%), in overweight boys – 1.48 (95% CI 0.80–2.71%), in obese boys – 2.76 (95% CI 1.55–4.90%)) and isolation (OR in obese girls was 5.84 (95% CI 2.67–12.75%), in obese boys – 6.57 (95% CI 2.86–15.12%)). The unemployment, unsatisfactory living condition, and insufficient social support had no statistically significant differences.
The significance of family factors has been established for incomplete families (OR in overweight girls was 2.60 (95% CI 1.60–4.22%), in obese girls – 3.71 (95% CI 2.30–5.96%), for boys, no statistical difference was found), conflictive families, high workload of parents, low educational level. The drug/alcohol addictions and mental illness of parents, the violence during childhood had no statistical differences in overweight / obese children.
Among personal factors, the significance of inflated expectations from the child was revealed only in obese children.

Conclusions:

The obtained data testify that overweight / obese children are at risk of child maltreatment and need close monitoring and cure to prevent their potential vulnerability to violence, stigma and social isolation.

Points for discussion:

Maltreatment in vulnerable children (children with overweight / obesity)

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