Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

The Neglect of Left-Behind Children in China: A Meta-Analysis

Yu-Jie Wen¹, Wen-Peng Hou¹, Wei Zheng²

¹The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders & Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders Center of Schizophrenia, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, China.

Trauma, Violence & Abuse

|April 21, 2020

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the neglect of left-behind children (LBC) in China.

Method:

Participants: Children separated from one or both parents for at least 6 months. Intervention: Trauma of separation. Comparison: Non-left-behind children (NLBC). Outcomes: Neglect rates and severity. Only case-control studies were included.

Results:

Thirteen studies were included; there were 18,688 LBC in a large sample (N = 42,003) of children aged 0-18 years in China. The overall neglect rate was significantly higher in LBC compared to NLBC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.50, 1.67], p < .01) based on the Chinese Rural Child Neglected Evaluation Model (CRCNEM) and the Parents-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (OR = 1.44, 95% CI [1.35, 1.54], p < .01). The overall neglect severity in LBC was also significantly higher than NLBC (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI [0.28, 0.33], p < .01). The same trends were observed in sex subgroups. With regard to subtypes, LBC were significantly more likely to have emotional neglect (OR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.88, 2.78], p < .01), medical neglect (OR = 1.79, 95% CI [1.62, 1.98], p < .01), physical neglect (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.60, 1.91], p < .01), security neglect (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.32, 1.75], p < .01), educational neglect (OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.31, 1.72], p < .01), and social neglect (OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.18, 1.51], p < .01). Furthermore, LBC had significantly higher severity in medical neglect (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI [0.27, 0.35], p < .01), emotional neglect (SMD = 0.28, 95% CI [0.24, 0.32], p < .01), physical neglect (SMD = 0.24, 95% CI [0.18, 0.29], p < .01), security neglect (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI [0.23, 0.29], p < .01), educational neglect (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI [0.20, 0.31], p < .01), and social neglect (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI [0.10, 0.40], p < .01).

Conclusion:

The neglect rates and severity in LBC in China were both significantly higher than those in NLBC. There was a strong association between neglect and LBC. Public policy changes are urgently needed to improve the dire situation and the well-being of the LBC.

Keywords:

China left-behind children neglect

More Related Videos

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Parenting Styles

Parenting Styles

Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.

Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in statistical epidemiology represents a pivotal challenge, referring to the distortion in the perceived relationship between an exposure and an outcome due to the presence of a third variable, known as a confounder. This variable is associated with both the exposure and the outcome but is not a direct link in their causal chain. Its presence can lead to erroneous interpretations of the exposure's effect, either exaggerating or underestimating the true association. This...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Association of Left Angular Gyrus-Right Middle Frontal Gyrus Functional Connectivity With Insomnia Severity in Major Depressive Disorder: Evidence From the DIRECT Consortium.

CNS neuroscience & therapeutics·2026

Altered Cortical Morphological Brain Networks and Their Diagnostic Classification Utility in Major Depressive Disorder.

Human brain mapping·2026

Aberrant dynamic functional architecture in major depressive disorder: Vertex-Wise large-sample fMRI analyses reveal network-specific alterations and symptom associations.

Translational psychiatry·2026

Transfer learning from 2D natural images to 4D fMRI brain images via geometric mapping.

Medical image analysis·2026

The long-term clinical and functional outcomes of psychiatric patients with catatonia: A 5-year follow-up.

Asian journal of psychiatry·2026

Dynamic changes in hemispheric lateralization in major depressive disorder correlate with neurotransmitter and genetic profiles: a DIRECT consortium study.

Translational psychiatry·2025

See all related articles