Study On Social Anxiety Status And Its Influential Factors Of Left-behind Children In One Rural Area Of Anhui Province

Objective The main aims of this study were to examine the status of social anxiety and its influential factors among left-behind children in rural area of Anhui province and to provide the basic information for the development of social anxiety intervention program.Methods 3169 students were recruited as the subjects from ChangFeng county of Anhui province with cluster sampling method. Data were collected by using the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, the Family APGAR Index, the Quality of Life Scale and the Parents-Child Conflict Tactics Scales. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the influential factors of the status of social anxiety among left-behind children.Results 1694 left-behind children accounted for 58.1% of the total students. The prevalence of social anxiety among students was 16.4%. The prevalence of social anxiety among female student(s17.9%)was higher than that among male student(s15.1%)with significant difference(χ2=4.306,P=0.038). The prevalence of social anxiety among left-behind children(17.9%)was higher than that among other children(14.3%). The difference between them was statistically significant(χ2=6.844,P=0.009). The status of family function and quality of life among left-behind children were inferior to other children and with significant difference(χ2=9.744,P=0.008),(t=-3.976,P<0.001). The prevalence of Neglect among left-behind children was higher than that among other children with significant difference(χ2=14.322,P<0.001). Of the left-behind children the prevalence of physical abuse, lower grade physical abuse, moderate physical abuse were lower than that among other children with significant difference(χ2=14.787,P<0.001),(χ2=8.828,P=0.003),(χ2=17.274,P<0.001). Data from multivariate analysis showed that social anxiety status of children were associated with physical abuse, family function and quality of life. Children who had physical abuse, poor quality of life or family dysfunction were more vulnerable to social anxiety. Social anxiety status of the left-behind children were associated with physical abuse, family function, quality of life and peer relationships. Left-behind Children who had physical abuse, poor quality of life, poor peer relationships or family dysfunction were more vulnerable to social anxiety.Conclusion Many factors were found to be involved in social anxiety among children, especially regarding the family function, quality of life and physical abuse. Special preventive measures should be taken to reduce the prevalence of social anxiety among children, especially in the left-behind children in rural area.