OBJECTIVETo learn the current situation of children neglect and its influencing factors among children aged from 0 - 6 years in rural Chongqing.

METHODSScales and evaluation methods in the "Chinese rural child neglected evaluation model" were used in this study. The investigation was conducted by using multistage stratified cluster sampling method in December 2010, and 822 rural children aged 0 to 6 years of three districts in Chongqing were randomly select for the survey, with neglect rate and the neglect degree to describe their neglect status, using logistic regression analysis to analyze factors affecting children neglect.

RESULTSThe total neglect rate and the neglect degree in the rural children were 35.64% (293/822) and 49.69 ± 6.45, respectively. The neglect degree in boys was higher than that of girls (boys: 50.23 ± 6.40 vs girls: 49.09 ± 6.47, P < 0.05). Further, Our data demonstrated both the neglect rate and the neglect degrees in children whose parents away from home were higher than that of the children whose parents stayed with them (neglect rate: 40.48% (202/499) vs 28.17% (91/323), P < 0.05; neglect degree: 50.64 ± 6.29 vs 48.23 ± 6.44, P < 0.05). Based on multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis, the determinants of children neglect were: parents were away from home (OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.17 - 2.21), single mother and remarried family (OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.10 - 1.76), maternal occupation(OR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.73 - 0.90), estrangement relationship between children and their mothers (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.97).

CONCLUSIONThe neglect situation of rural children is serious in Chongqing, and the main factors are parents away from home, single mother and remarried family, maternal occupation, and estrangement relationship between children and their mothers.