Prevalence and Risk Factors of Child Abuse: A Descriptive-Analytical Study in Ilam Province, Iran, in 2020

Background and aims: Child abuse is one of the major health and social problems in all countries, which is affected by a set of cultural, social, and family factors and some characteristics of children. The present study was performed to determine factors related to child abuse in Ilam province. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was designed in 2020 in Ilam province, Iran. Ninety-nine children who had a document of child abuse in social emergency centers were included in the study by the census method. In addition, one hundred and thirty-three children of similar age were selected from the community level by the multi-stage sampling method. The required data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed, and a significant level of less than 5% was considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, 53.5% of participants were in the non-abused group, and 46.5% were in the abused children group. Neglect and emotional abuse were the most common types among the abused children. A significant difference was reported between all kinds of child abuse in the abused and non-abused groups (P<0.001). There was a significant relationship between the number of family members with both sexual and nutritional child abuse (P<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, family, economic, and social factors are related to child abuse. Social service counselors recommend the introduction of these factors during the consultation with parents.