Child physical abuse and neglect in Kenya, Zambia and the Netherlands: A cross‐cultural comparison of prevalence, psychopathological sequelae and mediation by PTSS

Abstract

This study compared the prevalence of self-reported childhood physical abuse and neglect and the associated psychopathological sequelae among Kenyan, Zambian, and Dutch university students. In addition, we sought to find out the differentiated role of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in mediating the associations between childhood maltreatment experiences and psychopathology symptoms. The sample consisted of 862 university students from Kenya (n = 375), Zambia (n = 182), and The Netherlands (n = 305) who completed the Personal and Relationships Profile (PRP). Results showed that physical abuse was highly prevalent in Kenya (59%) and Zambia (40%), and that neglect was even more prevalent than physical abuse in Zambia and The Netherlands at 59%, 54%, and 42% for the Kenyan, Zambian, and Dutch samples respectively. Neglect was associated with psychopathological symptoms in all three samples, whereas physical abuse was associated with psychopathological sequelae in the Kenyan and Zambian samples only. PTSS mediated the association between neglect and psychopathology symptoms in the Dutch sample and between physical abuse and psychopathology symptoms in the Dutch and Kenyan samples. We conclude that physical abuse and neglect are associated with psychopathology symptoms independently of country and cultural context. However, the pathways through which physical abuse and neglect may lead to psychopathological sequelae may be dependent on perceptions of specific parental behavior in different sociocultural contexts.

Impact of maternal adverse childhood experiences on child socioemotional function in rural Kenya: Mediating role of maternal mental health

“…There is limited literature examining the mechanisms of transmission of risk for psychopathology from mothers who have experienced ACEs to her child, and this is especially true in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC); however, the exploration of factors mediating this pathway is broadening. ACEs have been shown to have a deleterious impact on later life outcomes that include mental and physical health, educational and financial attainment, and functioning within interpersonal relationships (Barcellos, Carvalho, & Turley, ; Benjet, ; Kessler et al, ; Mbagaya, Oburu, & Bakermans‐Kranenburg, ; Norman et al, ). The relationship between mother and child is particularly vulnerable to such adversity, with consequences that include disrupted parenting, impaired attachment and poor educational and mental health outcomes in children (Lang, Gartstein, Rodgers, & Lebeck, ; Min, Singer, Minnes, Kim, & Short, ; Pereira et al, ; Plant, Barker, Waters, Pawlby, & Pariante, ; Rijlaarsdam et al, ; Schreier et al, ).…”

Time to presentation, pattern and immediate health effects of alleged child sexual abuse at two tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…A comparative study conducted in African and Western countries revealed a significantly higher proportion of children being abused and neglected in African countries [7]. Owing to the lack of information on child abuse and neglect in the developing world, Skeen and Tomlinson emphasized on the importance of systematically collecting information on child maltreatment [8].…”

The global problem of child maltreatment: perspectives on mechanisms of influence and illness presentation

“…In a recent meta-analysis, the global prevalence of child maltreatment was estimated at 22.6% (Stoltenborgh, Bakermans-Kranenburg et al 2013); the prevalence varied significantly between countries. One study compared reported rates of abuse and neglect in Kenya, Zambia, and the Netherlands and found that abuse rates were much higher in the African samples, but rates of neglect were similar (Mbagaya, Oburu et al 2013). …”