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Background: Child maltreatment occurs across all cultures and societies. Research in Kuwait is necessary to document its prevalence and related factors. Aims: To determine the prevalence of childhood abuse reported by first year students of Kuwait University in 2010 and its association with depression. Methods: A random sample of first year undergraduates completed the Arabic version of the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tools for young adults and were assessed for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results: Among 2508 respondents (70.9% female), 35.6%, 53.5% and 19.8% experienced at least one form of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, respectively. Physical abuse was more prevalent among boys (P < 0.001). For emotional and sexual abuse, sex differences were not statistically significant. Physical abuse was associated with living with the father, emotional abuse with living with the mother and sexual abuse with living with non-parents (P < 0.001). Most perpetrators were non-parents. Abuse was more prevalent among students whose parents were separated/divorced, whose fathers were polygamous and where monthly family income was < US$ 1800. Depression was significantly associated with all types of abuse and in multiple regression indicated it was one of the most important predictors of physical and sexual abuse. Conclusion: Kuwaiti first year undergraduates commonly reported experiencing abuse. There is a strong need for child protection policies, improved legislation and prevention strategies.

Background: Parents' of young children who frequently attend primary health care (PHC) services for mild health problems (MHPs) can present a complex and difficult challenge for staff. This phenomenon can expose the child to inappropriate overprescribing, unnecessary medical interventions and may impair the quality of life of parents and children. Aim: To define driving factors for frequent attenders (FAs) preschool children in PHC services in Kuwait. Design and Setting: An unmatched case-control study was conducted in the PHC setting in Kuwait. Method: A sample comprised of 300 parents from 10 PHC centres was selected. The top third children with higher frequency (FAs) visits to their family practitioners (FPs) were compared with the lower third with lower frequency (NFAs) visits to their FPs during the same duration. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) was used to assess parents' response to their children's illness. The sociodemographic data for both groups were collected. Culture and background heath status for child and family were collected (order of the child in the family, if the family is living with the extended family and additional help received regarding childcare). The previous medical history of parent, child, and siblings was also included. Results: The mean number of consultations in FAs versus NFAs within the previous year was 15.5 ± 7.6 and 4.3 ± 2.1, respectively. There was no significant difference in means between the two groups of parents in responses to the questions of the adapted Brief IPQ. FAs were more likely to be the first-order child (odds ratio (OR) 2.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.2–4.6), have chronic disease (OR 4.7; 95% CI = 2.1–10.6), and live with the extended family (OR 1.8; 95% CI = 1.1–3.3). They experienced an acute, potentially life-threatening episode previously (OR 2.6; 95% CI = 1.1–6.4), with the same applying to a sibling (OR 72.6; 1.2–6.2) or parent (OR 2.6; CI = 1.1–6.4). Conclusion: Identification of the hidden reasons that affect parents' decisions to consult their FPs frequently for their children's MHPs were important predictors for defining preschool FAs children in the PHC centres and can help the staff provide effective management plans to help them.