Psychological behavior problems and influencing factors in rural Muslim left-behind children

Objective To examine behavioral problems and related factors in rural Muslim left-behind children(LBC)in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(Ningxia).Methods Totally 1 905 Muslim children aged 6-16 years were selected with stratified cluster random sampling from southern rural areas in Ningxia.A self-made general questionnaire,Egma Minnen av Bardndosnauppforstran(EMBN),Eysenck Personality Questionnaire(EPQ Children Revision),Piers-Harri Children's Self-Concept Scale(PHCSS)and Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL parent version)were used in the study.Results The overall detection rate of behavior problems in the children was 22.3%;and the detection rate in the left-behind children and non-left-behind children were 25.1%and 20.5%,respectively,with a significant difference between the two groups(χ²=2.82,P=0.093).The detection rate of behavior problems in male left behind and non-left-behind children were 24.2%and 15.6%,with a significant difference between the two group(χ²=5.36,P=0.021).The detection rates of schizoid(3.66±3.18),physical complaints(5.16±5.30),poor communication(6.44±6.04),obsession(3.16±3.17),hostile(4.62±4.81),discipline(3.08±3.78),aggressiveness(7.04±6.47)and hyperactivity(3.96±3.49)in male Muslim left-behind children aged 12 to 16 years were significantly higher than those in male non-left-behind children(P<0.05).The female Muslim left-behind children aged 12 to 16 years had significantly different detection rate of aggressiveness(6.71±6.13)and cruel factor(2.19±3.49)compared with those in non-left-behind children(P<0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that introversive personality(odds ratioOR=2.568),with overprotection of parents(OR=1.851 and 5.210 for medium and high level)and poor self-consciousness(OR=6.684 and 8.578 for medium and high level)were risk factors for behavioral problems in the Muslim left-behind children,whereas emotional stability(OR=0.186),fewer refusing and denying of mother(OR=0.517 and 0.264 for medium and high level)were protective factors.Conclusion Rural Muslim children in Ningxia have a higher incidence of behavioral problems and measures should be taken in the society,family,and personality development for the prevention of behavior problems in the Muslim left-behind children.