Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39183356›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2024

Trauma exposure among young children in rural Pakistan: Associations with gender, mental health, and cognitive skills.

Allison Frost, Amanda Collins, Esther O Chung, Michelle S Escobar Carias, Ashley Hagaman, Sugandh Gupta, Amina Bibi, Siham Sikander, Joanna Maselko

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Allison FrostCarolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. allisonfrost@unc.edu.
Amanda CollinsDepartment of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Esther O ChungRTI International, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Michelle S Escobar CariasDepartment of Economics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Ashley HagamanDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Sugandh GuptaDepartment of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Amina BibiHuman Development Research Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Siham SikanderDepartment of Primary Care & Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Joanna MaselkoCarolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.

Funding

Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)UL1TR001863 · NCATS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI John H. Krystal, LUCILA OHNO-MACHADO · 2016 to 2026
$102.9M
Impact of Perinatal Depression treatment on child developmental outcomesR01HD075875 · NICHD · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI MASELKO, JOANNA · 2014 to 2024
$5.2M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001863NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD075875
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe burden of childhood trauma (violence, injury/illness, loss) in low-resource settings is high, although the effect of trauma on children's mental and cognitive health is under-researched. Child gender may moderate the association between trauma and outcomes; boys are more likely to experience trauma, but girls are more likely to show distress following trauma.

methodsWe draw on data from the Bachpan cohort (n = 888), a sample of mother-child dyads in rural Pakistan, to investigate these associations among 6-year-old children in a South Asian, low-resource setting. Mothers reported on children's lifetime exposure to 15 possible traumas and their current mental health. In addition, children were assessed for their verbal skills, working memory, and inhibitory control. We estimated trauma prevalence and used generalized estimating equations to test the association between number of traumatic events and child mental health and cognitive skills in the overall sample and by gender.

results90.5% of children experienced at least one trauma. The most common traumas were death of a loved one (47%) and hearing about war/terrorism on the TV/radio (48%). On average, boys experienced more traumas (M = 3.00) than girls (M = 2.67). Specifically, boys were more likely than girls to experience an injury or hospitalization (30% vs. 21%, p < .05) and to hear about war/terrorism on the TV/radio (52% vs. 43%, p < .05). Trauma was associated with increased mental health difficulties and increased anxiety scores. There was little evidence that trauma exposure was associated with child cognitive skills. The strength of association between trauma and outcomes was similar for boys and girls.

conclusionsFindings show that childhood trauma exposure is common in this setting and associated with worse mental health problems among young boys and girls. Results suggest that trauma-informed interventions are important for supporting child mental health in South Asia.

Indexed as

Rural PopulationAdverse Childhood ExperiencesChildCognitionFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthPakistanPsychological TraumaSex FactorsChild traumaCognitive skillsMental healthSouth Asia

Identifiers

PMID39183356
PMCPMC11346172

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.