OBJECTIVETo investigate the major influence factors of child neglect among rural areas children aged 3-6 years in China.

METHODSAccording to multi-stage stratified cluster sampling, distribution characteristics and the level of economic development, we randomly sampled 10 provinces, 26 cities (8 capital cities, 16 prefecture-level cities and 2 municipalities) using lottery method. Depending on the different level of economic and cultural, we sampled one medium county from each city (municipalities sampled two counties), a total of 28 counties. All towns were divided into high, medium and low three levels in accordance with economic and cultural, each level sampled one town, each conty sampled three towns, a total of 84 towns were sampled. Each town sampled 40 children, including 20 boys and 20 girls (including each 10 children aged 3 to 6, half and half boys and girls). 4 096 rural children aged 3-6 years old were sampled and surveyed of China. Based on "the Neglect Norms for Children Aged 3 to 6 Years Old in Rural Areas of China" explored the risk factors of child neglect. SPSS 18. 0 for windows was employed for statistics analysis. Multifactorial analysis was conducted through multivariate Logistic Regression.

RESULTSThe total neglected rate of the rural children aged 3 to 6 was 53.7% (2,047/3,810), and the total neglected degree was 44.42±7.57. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, neglected risk of the boys was higher than the girls (OR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.13-1.49), neglected risk of children were higher, when their mothers were migrant workers (OR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.59-3.00); the lower educational level of mothers, the higher neglected risk of children, the children in families that mothers only received primary education or was uneducated were most likely to be neglected (OR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.91-4.47), the second was the families that mothers received primary education (OR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.29-2.69); the lower the household income, the easier to be neglected the children, the easiest one was the household income less than 5000 RMB (OR=2.85, 95% CI: 2.14-3.79), the second was 5000-9,999 RMB (OR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.40-2.20); the relationship between children and mothers was distanced, neglect risk of children was higher (OR=3.88, 95% CI: 1.31-11.52); left behind children were easier to be neglected (OR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.09-1.54).

CONCLUSIONThe influence factors among children aged 3-6 years in the rural areas of China were boys, mother's occupation, maternal education level, the relationship between children and mothers, household income and left-behind children.