scholarly journals The Epidemiological and Clinical Profile of Sexually Abused Children: A Hospital-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
Andreas Chiabi ◽  
Julius Sama ◽  
Elvis Meten ◽  
Annick Tchouamou ◽  
Sylvie Nolna ◽  
...  

Introduction: Child sexual abuse is an extensive health and societal problem as even the lowest prevalence of child sexual abuse includes a huge number of victims who still need to be considered. Africa has the highest prevalence of child sexual abuse yet still with a paucity of literature on the subject matter. Objective: Describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of children victim of sexual abuse reported at the Yaounde Gynaeco-obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH). Methods: A hospital based cross sectional descriptive study was conducted from January 1st, 2017 – December 31st, 2019 at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital. Consultation files were examined and identified cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) recruited. Epidemiological and clinical data of included participants were treated using a pre-established questionnaire. Collected data were entered and analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software version 26.0 with p-values calculated following a one variable binomial sampling. Results: In total, data was assessed from 51,331 pediatric consultation files of which 127 cases of child sexual abuse met our inclusion criteria. The prevalence of child sexual abuse was 0.25%. Most victims of child sexual abuse were of the female gender (92%) from single parenting homes (36.8%) (p< 0.05) within two age groups < 5years (32.9%) and 10-15 years (32.9%). Perpetrators were in majority males (84%) of age ≥18 years (72.4%) and were persons known to the victims (73.7%) who proceeded by taking advantage of the victims’ trust. Vaginal penetration (57.9%) with vaginal lesions (59.2%) were the most encountered cases which were placed on highly active anti-retroviral prophylaxis however with poor clinical follow-up (35.5%) as the patients did not turn-up for their visits. Conclusion: Child sexual abuse though not addressed as a matter of urgency, yet it is a problem with a gradual upward trend in our community most especially as perpetrators are persons we are familiar with. Thus, a call for greater vigilance with regards to the guidance we leave our children with.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Maranga ◽  
Patrick Onyango ◽  
Dickens Omondi

Abstract Child sexual abuse is a public health problem with negative physical, mental, behavioral and learning outcomes to survivors. Recent Kenya Demographic Health Survey showed that 22% of women and 13% of men in western Kenya have experienced sexual abuse compared to 14% women and 6% men nationally. Its burden, predisposing factors and, sources of or reasons for differential exposure for boys are yet unclear. Whereas schools have a major influence on a child’s development and behavior, they have been identified as important settings where child sexual abuse might occur. However, how sexual abuse is patterned by type and location of school remains an open question. The present study investigated risk factors of sexual abuse among school-going children in primary schools in Kisumu County. Using a cross-sectional study design and guided by the ecological model, the study determined association between type of school and sexual abuse; association between location of school and sexual abuse, and spaces that predispose school-going children to sexual abuse in primary schools. A sample of 398 pupils aged between 10 – 16 years randomly identified participants from 37 pre-selected primary schools in Kisumu Central and Kisumu West sub-Counties was used. The schools had been stratified by location (rural and urban) and type (public or private, boarding or day). Parental permission was sought for respective pupils to participate in the study. Data from pupils was collected using self-administered questionnaires and focus group discussions, and key informant interviews from guidance and counseling teachers. The mean age of participants was 13 years. More pupils attended day schools than boarding schools (88% versus 12%; p= 0.017). Forced sex (29%) was the most common type of sexual abuse. More girls than boys had ever experienced any type of sexual abuse 29% versus 20%; p=0.038. Whereas there was no statistical difference in pupils’ experience of sexual abuse by type and location of school x2= 2.044; p>0.05 and x2= 0.823 p>0.05, pupils thought that attending public day schools is associated with higher risk for sexual abuse mainly while walking to and from home. Pupils cited bushes inside school (52%), latrines/toilets (51%) and bushes outside school (50%) as spaces where one is more likely to experience sexual abuse. Being a female pupil was the most significant risk factor for sexual abuse in the primary schools surveyed. This indicates that gendered predisposition plays an important role in occurrence of sexual abuse in primary schools. Though not statistically significant in this study, it is plausible that risky spaces and type of schools might modify female gender predisposition in subtler ways as suggested from the pupils’ perspectives. There is need for a gendered focus in a complex primary schooling environment


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subash Bhattarai ◽  
Merina Gyawali

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is inflammatory process of pancreas presenting with acute abdominal pain.The majority of patients have mild disease. Some patients develop local and systemic complications with increased morbidity and mortality. This study was undertaken to describe the clinical profile and outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.   Methods:  A cross-sectional hospital based study comprising of 62 consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis were enrolled between Jan 2019 to August 2020. Clinical profile at admission, complications and clinical outcomes including mortality were studied. Patients were classified into mild, moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis based on revised Atlanta classification and modified CT severity index.  Data entry was done in Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences version 20. Results: The mean age of study subjects was 44±10.87 years with 43 (56%) males and 19 (44%) females (M:F=2.1:1). The commonest etiology of pancreatitis was alcohol (53.2%) followed by biliary pancreatitis (37.1%)  The most common presentation was abdominal pain (100%). The most common complication was pancreatic necrosis (21%) followed by acute kidney injury (19.4%) and pleural effusion (17.3%). Majority( 72.6%) was mild and 17.7% had severe acute pancreatitis. Mortality was seen in 6.5% patients. Mortality was observed in patients with persistent complications, organ failure, low serum calcium and high modified CT severity index.   Conclusions: Alcohol and gallstones were the two main etiologies of acute pancreatitis and were common in males, and in middle age groups. Majority presented with mild severity. Mortality was observed in some patients with severe acute pancreatitis.   Keywords: alcohol; biliary; CT severity index; mortality; outcome; pancreatitis          


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Legesse Abera Natae ◽  
Abdulahi Aliye ◽  
Kalbesse Tadesse ◽  
Alemu Guta

Abstract Background: Child sexual abuse means any kind of sexual contact with a child under the age of 18 years. It is a common and serious public health problem affecting millions of people each year worldwide. It is the most neglected and least documented form of violence in Ethiopia among school girls. So, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and its associated factors among high school female students in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia.Methods: An institutional-based, cross-sectional study was conducted, March, 1-23/2021. A stratified multistage sampling technique was used for quantitative data and 794 participants from selected high schools were included. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used, and data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. For qualitative data, sixteen in-depth interviews and five focus group discussion were conducted and analyzed thematically. Result: The magnitude of at least one form of sexual abuse were 384 (48.9%), of these, 150 (19.1%) were rape. Students who live alone 4.3 times (AOR=4.30;95 % CI: 1.81-10.24), those who lives with their friends 5 times (AOR=5.02: 95% CI: 2.24-11.24), and those who lives with their single parent 3 times (AOR=3.31: 95% CI: 1.23-8.89) more likely experience life time sexual abuse than those living with their both parents. The odds of experiencing life time sexual abuse among students of rural residence were 2 times higher than their urban counter part (AOR=2.1; 95% CI: 1.79-3.45). Students who don’t drink alcohol were 70% more protective than those who drink alcohol (AOR=0.70: 95% CI: 0.28-0.97).Conclusion: This study revealed that the magnitude of child sexual abuse among female students in Dire Dawa is high. Lack of discussion about sexual issue with parents, living without both parents, drinking alcohol, being rural residence had significant association with child sexual abuse. Unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and STIs were the most common reproductive consequences of sexual abuse. So, community-based comprehensive awareness creation on sexual and reproductive health issues, are recommended especially, at rural area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-74
Author(s):  
Aisha Sarfaraz ◽  
Dr Abdul Azeem ◽  
Mehwish Butt ◽  
Muhammad Umar

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Stroke is a very common neurological condition affects various aspects of health. The primary objective of this study was to find out the frequency of functional disability and cognitive impairments in Sub-acute Stroke patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 112 Sub-acute Stroke patients in Karachi, Pakistan. Using Barthel Index (BI) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test was used to find out the frequency of functional disability and cognitive impairments of Sub-acute Stroke patients. RESULTS The correlation of BI scores with MMSE scores for the Male gender was 0.576 whilst the correlation of BI scores with MMSE scores for the Female gender was 0.440. The severity of functional disability concerning age groups assessed P-value was 0.026 using Chi-Square Test. The severity of functional disability (BI severity) concerning gender, P-value was found 0.097 using the same test. CONCLUSION Functional Disability is directly linked with age. However, there was no linkage established between Cognitive Impairment and age as well as gender. On close inspection, there was a trend between Functional disability and gender but not statistically significant.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-116
Author(s):  
Vincent J. Palusci ◽  
Marissa Ilardi

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with a range of negative consequences for victims that are compounded when it recurs. We used the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System to study a cohort of 42,036 children in 45 U.S. states with sexual abuse reports first confirmed by child protective services (CPS) during 2010 in order to identify children with increased risk for recurrence. A small proportion (3.6%) had a second confirmed sexual abuse report through 2015. In multivariate models, female gender, family hearing and vision problems, other child maltreatment, and other family violence were associated with increased risk of recurrence, while younger children, Hispanic families, and those with substance abuse tended to have less risk. One fourth of recurrence involved the same offender, usually a parent or caretaker. One fourth of cases were referred for any CPS services, which were more likely to be provided for families with poverty, drug or alcohol problems, or other violence. Only substance abuse services significantly reduced recurrence in multivariable models. Those trying to reduce CSA recurrence should recognize that certain case characteristics are associated with greater recurrence, and most CPS services do not significantly reduce CSA recurrence.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Fortier ◽  
David DiLillo ◽  
Terri L. Messman-Moore ◽  
James Peugh ◽  
Kathleen A. DeNardi ◽  
...  

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has consistently been associated with the use of avoidant coping; these coping methods have been associated with increased trauma symptoms, which have, in turn, been linked to increased risk for adult sexual revictimization. Given these previous findings, the purpose of the current study was to test a model that conceptualized the relationships among these variables. Specifically, CSA severity was conceptualized as leading to the use of avoidant coping, which was proposed to lead to maintenance of trauma symptoms, which would, in turn, impact severity of revictimization indirectly. This comprehensive model was tested in a cross-sectional study of a large, geographically diverse sample of college women. Participants were 99 female undergraduates classified as having experienced CSA who completed measures of abuse history, coping style, current levels of trauma symptoms, and adult sexual revictimization. Multivariate path analysis indicated that the data fit the hypothesized model for verbally coercive, but not physically aggressive, revictimization. Specifically, increased CSA severity was associated with the use of avoidant coping, which, in turn, predicted greater levels of trauma symptomatology and severity of sexual coercion in adulthood. Although cross-sectional in nature, findings from this study suggest that coping strategies and trauma symptoms may represent modifiable factors that place women at increased risk for verbally coercive sexual revictimization.


Author(s):  
Rosa M Sánchez-Casas ◽  
Ildefonso Fernández-Salas ◽  
Maricela Laguna-Aguilar ◽  
Jorge J Rodríguez-Rojas ◽  
Marcia L Medina-Ponce ◽  
...  

SUMMARY The prevalence of pediculosis in Mexican children was studied in San Nicolas and Tapachula, Mexico. A cross-sectional study included 888 students between six and 12 years old from two urban communities with an unequal socioeconomic status between September 2015 and March 2016. A Pearson χ2 and multivariate logistic analysis were carried out to associate risk factors to pediculosis. The overall prevalence of pediculosis from both localities was 23.9%. The female gender; long and medium hair; living with someone infested; previously infested by head lice and curling hair were variables linked to a significantly higher prevalence of pediculosis (p &lt; 0.01). Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed in the age groups, localities and socioeconomic status for human lice infection. Socioeconomic variables such as numbers of inhabitants, floors of house, beds and rooms; and parents’ qualification did not show a significative association for pediculosis. Health education in schools is needed for pediculosis prevention and remove the stigmatization of this disease related to poverty.


Author(s):  
Saradha Kandasamy Perumal ◽  
Sarankumar Sudhakar ◽  
Mithra Sampathkumar

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> A child sexual abuse (CSA) incident never comes into limelight unless it is a rape, probably because it could be an asymptomatic event causing only an emotional trauma or due to fear of revealing. It has been observed that sexually transmitted infections (STI) are in increasing trend among adolescents due to early sexual maturity, increased promiscuity and sexual offenses.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> An observational cross-sectional study was carried out for a group of 774 school children between the age group of 14-17 years using a structured questionnaire to estimate the level of unreported child sexual abuse and sexual awareness. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out in this study (SPSS 21.0).<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> It was observed that 5.5% of children had been abused among which 37.3 % and 62.7% were males and females respectively. 11.1% and 6.25% were abused in penetrative, 59.25% and 43.75% in non-penetrative forms among female and male victims respectively. Abusers were mainly family and friends (25.5%) followed by strangers (23.2%). 25.3% of unaffected and 27.9% of affected was aware of POSCO law. 88.3% of affected and 62.3% of unaffected rated good and above for the questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Unreported and silent victims have to be identified and addressed to prevent crimes and provide a safer environment for children. Implementation of POCSO law at the root level with sex education must be strengthened. Our study concluded that CSA is an extensive problem and even the lowest prevalence includes a huge number of victims who still need to be considered.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-137
Author(s):  
Onyinye Hope Chime ◽  
Chinonyelu Jennie Orji ◽  
Tonna Jideofor Aneke ◽  
Ijeoma Ngozi Nwoke

Objective: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a growing public health concern with health, academic and psychosocial implications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, pattern and predictors of CSA among secondary school students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among adolescents in four secondary schools in Enugu Metropolis , Nigeria. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 325 adolescents and data was analysed with a significance level set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of CSA in this study was 116 (35.7%). While the majority 20 (40%) of the victims were forced to watch pornography, most of the perpetrators were neighbours 34 (29.3%). A higher proportion of the victims were abused once, 79 (68.1%); when they were between 12 and 18 years old, 62 (53.4%); and at home, 39 (33.6%). Grouped ages, whom the child lived with, father’s and mother’s education, and father’s occupation were statistically significant on bivariate analysis. Predictors of CSA were students in senior secondary school Class 2 (SSS2) and those whose fathers were employed. Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of CSA. Comprehensive sexuality education and legislative policies should be implemented to educate adolescents and deter perpetrators.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
S. Alph Shirley ◽  
S. Santha Kumar

Background: Child sexual abuse leads to several adverse impacts in the affected children. A study on awareness and attitude of mothers towards child sexual abuse will help to formulate better techniques to improve awareness and prevent child sexual abuse. The objective is to study the awareness and attitude of mothers of primary school students towards child sexual abuse.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was done in the state of Tamil Nadu, India among 186 mothers of primary school children. Data were collected from the mothers using a predesigned questionnaire and analyzed.Results: Only 12.9% of the mothers were aware of the POCSO Act and 32.8% were aware of the child helpline 1098. 76.9% of the mothers were aware of unexplained genital injury as a physical indicator of child sexual abuse. Acute traumatic response (83.9%) and regression in behavior (82.8%) were the commonly aware behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse. Only 25.3% of the mothers believed that boys can be sexually abused. 75.3% of the mothers believed that the offenders were usually unknown persons. 88.7% of the mothers believed that unaccompanied children were a risk factor. 88.2 % of the mother believed that physical and mental disability in children was a risk factor. Majority of the mothers believed that streets (88.7%) and institutions (80.1%) were the common environment for child sexual abuse. Only 23.7% of the mothers had taught regarding good touch and bad touch to their children. 50.5 % of the mothers believed that the major role in preventing child sexual abuse is played by the parents.Conclusions: Awareness regarding child sexual abuse was low among the mothers of primary school children.


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