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. 2025 Feb 19;25(1):158.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06604-x.

One in six children and adolescents in south Ethiopia had childhood trauma

Tamene Berhanu  1 , Yonas Tesfaye  2 , Shemelis Girma  2 , Mubarek Abera  2 , Tamene Berhanu Alaho  3
Affiliations

One in six children and adolescents in south Ethiopia had childhood trauma

Tamene Berhanu et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Childhood trauma is a serious experience that can have a profound impact on the physical, psychological, and social development of children and adolescents, with long-term effects on both the individual and society. Unfortunately, this condition is often overlooked by parents, teachers, medical professionals, mental health practitioners, and researchers. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing childhood trauma and associated factors among children and adolescents aged 5-14 years old at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in South Ethiopia in 2022.

Method: From 22 September to 22 November, 2022, a hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted, at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. A total of 423 hospital based samples were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Childhood trauma was screened using the internationally validated the child trauma screening questionnaire after determining for its reliability in the study area. The data was analysed using descriptive and logistic regression analysis methods. The strength as well as presence of association was presented using odds ratio and 95% CI with a corresponding p-value < 0.05.

Result: The magnitude of childhood trauma among children and adolescents aged 5-14 was 18%. Living in a family size of four and above (AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.07, 3.13), lower level of parental education (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.18, 9.00) and children and adolescent with emotional problems (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.20) were found to be independent predictors of childhood trauma.

Conclusion and recommendation: Approximately one in six children and adolescents have experienced childhood trauma. Factors such as living in a larger family, having parents with a low educational level, and experiencing emotional problems were found to be independently associated with childhood trauma. A holistic preventive approach, along with early detection and management of childhood trauma, is essential in order to prevent both the short-term and long-term impacts of such experiences.

Keywords: Adolescent; Child; Trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval is obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Jimma University Institute of Health (Ref.No.JUIH/IRB/63/22). Written informed consent was collected from the participants by trained data collectors. Confidentiality was protected throughout the data analysis and write up. Participant identifiers are not reported. Children and adolescent with serious traumatic experience were linked to a health care service. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Magnitude of childhood trauma among children and adolescents
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Magnitude of childhood trauma by age and sex
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Magnitude of childhood trauma by family size
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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