Sex and Urban–Rural Differences in the Relationship between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Mental Health among Chinese College Students

Rudong Zhang, Yun Liang, Wenzhen Cao, Leixiao Zeng and Kun Tang
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Rudong Zhang: Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China
Yun Liang: Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China
Wenzhen Cao: School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
Leixiao Zeng: School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Kun Tang: Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: This study aimed to reveal sex and urban–rural differences in the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and mental health among Chinese college students. The study used data from the “National College Student Survey on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2019”, a cross-sectional study conducted in all 31 provinces of mainland China. Weighted logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between CSA (noncontact CSA, contact CSA, and penetrative CSA) and mental health (suicide attempts and mental disorders). Among 49,728 students, 39.42% of the male participants and 43.55% of the female participants had ever experienced CSA. According to the OR results of logistic regression analysis, compared to females, males in the contact CSA group (AOR: 3.49, 95% CI: 1.95–6.23) and the penetrative CSA group (AOR: 8.79, 95% CI: 3.15–24.52) had higher odds of suicide attempts. Participants from rural and suburban areas that were categorized in the penetrative CSA group were more likely to report suicide attempts (rural: AOR: 4.01, 95% CI: 1.51–10.62, suburban AOR: 4.86, 95% CI: 2.52–9.36) and mental disorders (rural: AOR: 4.01, 95% CI: 1.51–10.62, suburban: AOR: 4.86, 95% CI: 2.52–9.36). In conclusion, the findings revealed a high prevalence of CSA in both sexes and reported that males are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of CSA. In addition, we also found that undergraduates growing up in rural and suburban areas are more vulnerable to the adverse psychological effects of CSA. Policymakers should pay more attention to this vulnerable population and implement effective measures to alleviate mental trauma.

Keywords: childhood sexual abuse; mental health; college students; suicide attempts; sex (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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