Latent classes of childhood maltreatment among Chinese undergraduates: Associations with sociodemographic variables

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment is a global public health concern. However, prior studies provide only partial identification of latent classes of childhood maltreatment. Therefore, this study aimed to identify latent classes of childhood maltreatment among Chinese undergraduate students and explore their association with various sociodemographic variables. The study examined childhood maltreatment experiences among 2,863 undergraduate students (40.1 % men, 59.9 % women; mean age = 19.96 ± 1.78 years) from 14 universities in eight provinces in China using a questionnaire survey. Latent class analysis was used to identify maltreatment type, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between maltreatment latent classes and sociodemographic variables. Three classes were identified: low-maltreatment (69.3 %), neglect (20.4 %), and mixed-maltreatment (10.3 %). Sex, only-child status, family structure, and family socioeconomic status were strongly associated with these classes. These findings shed light on the variability in childhood maltreatment among Chinese undergraduate students and provide a foundation for preventing childhood maltreatment.