Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Apr:42:146-62.
doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.02.012. Epub 2015 Mar 7.

The burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region

Xiangming Fang  1 , Deborah A Fry  2 , Derek S Brown  3 , James A Mercy  4 , Michael P Dunne  5 , Alexander R Butchart  6 , Phaedra S Corso  7 , Kateryna Maynzyuk  8 , Yuriy Dzhygyr  8 , Yu Chen  1 , Amalee McCoy  9 , Diane M Swales  9
Affiliations
Review

The burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region

Xiangming Fang et al. Child Abuse Negl. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

This study estimated the health and economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region, addressing a significant gap in the current evidence base. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing parental violence. Population Attributable Fractions were calculated and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost from physical and mental health outcomes and health risk behaviors attributable to child maltreatment were estimated using the most recent comparable Global Burden of Disease data. DALY losses were converted into monetary value by assuming that one DALY is equal to the sub-region's per capita GDP. The estimated economic value of DALYs lost to violence against children as a percentage of GDP ranged from 1.24% to 3.46% across sub-regions defined by the World Health Organization. The estimated economic value of DALYs (in constant 2000 US$) lost to child maltreatment in the EAP region totaled US $151 billion, accounting for 1.88% of the region's GDP. Updated to 2012 dollars, the estimated economic burden totaled US $194 billion. In sensitivity analysis, the aggregate costs as a percentage of GDP range from 1.36% to 2.52%. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region is substantial, indicating the importance of preventing and responding to child maltreatment in this region. More comprehensive research into the impact of multiple types of childhood adversity on a wider range of putative health outcomes is needed to guide policy and programs for child protection in the region, and globally.

Keywords: Child maltreatment; Disability-Adjusted Life Years; East Asia and Pacific region; Economic burden; Lifelong consequences.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A flow diagram for the steps of estimating the burden of child maltreatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Andrews G, Corry J, Slade T, Issakidis C, Swanston H. Child sexual abuse. In: Ezzati M, Lopez AD, Rodgers A, Murray C, editors. Comparative quantification of health risks: Global and regional burden of disease attributable to selected major risk factors. Vol. 2. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO); 2004.
    1. Arnow BA. Relationship between child maltreatment, adult health and psychiatric outcomes and medical utilisation. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2004;65:10–15. - PubMed
    1. Bolen RM, Scannapieco M. Prevalence of child sexual abuse: A corrective meta-analysis. Social Service Review. 1999;73:281–313.
    1. Brown DW. Economic value of disability-adjusted life years lost to violence: Estimates for WHO Member States. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública. 2008;24(3):203–209. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adverse childhood experiences study. Atlanta, GA: National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2006. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/ACE Accessed 12.07.12.