Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40026338›Full record

ArticlePsychology research and behavior management2025

Exploring the Relationship Between Aggressive Behavior, Family Parenting Styles, and Self-Esteem Among Only-Child College Students in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Lijun Zhu, Mengyun Huang, Zhengmei Fang, Jiani Tong, Zhiyin Pan, Long Hua, Pu Dong, Liying Wen, Weiwei Chang, Yingshui Yao and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychology research and behavior management, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Lijun Zhu *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Mengyun Huang *Department of Clinical Medicine, Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu, 241003, People's Republic of China.
Zhengmei Fang *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Jiani TongDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0004-6259-9431
Zhiyin PanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Long HuaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0001-5775-1970
Pu DongDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Liying WenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Weiwei ChangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Yingshui YaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Yan ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.
Yuelong JinDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College/ Institute of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhu, 241002, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of aggressive behavior among adolescents in higher education settings, particularly within the unique context of China's one-child policy, has become an increasingly significant issue. This study aims to elucidate the interplay between aggressive behaviors, parenting styles, and self-esteem among college students who are only children. Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional study from September 2022 to September 2023, the research involved a sample of students from four higher education institutions in Anhui Province, employing a convenience sampling method stratified by year of study and academic major. A total of 5,700 college students participated, with 5,431 valid responses obtained, resulting in a 95.28% validity rate. The average age of the participants was 19.16 ± 1.1 years, with 50.19% male and 49.81% female. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), a revised Chinese version of the short Egan's Memories of Parents' Education (s-EMBU) questionnaire, and the French version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (R-SES) were utilized to assess levels of aggression, parental styles, and self-esteem, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS26.0 and SPSS PROCESS Macro. Results: The findings revealed that only children exhibited significantly higher levels of physical aggression (19.26±5.33 vs 18.41±4.87, p < 0.001) and hostility (18.64±5.68 vs 18.30±5.33, p = 0.046) compared to their non-only child peers. Regression analysis showed that both paternal (β = 0.670, p = 0.004) and maternal rejection (β = 1.095, p < 0.001) positively predicted aggressive behavior, while self-esteem negatively correlated with aggression (β = -0.375, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between parental rejection and aggression, accounting for 6.90% and 6.54% of the variance in paternal and maternal rejection, respectively. This suggests that self-esteem nurturing may be a potential strategy to reduce aggression among only-child college students. Conclusion: The study concludes that nurturing self-esteem among only-child college students in China may be a pivotal strategy in curbing aggressive behaviors, underscoring the necessity to comprehend the intricate relationship between parenting styles, self-esteem, and aggression. The insights gained from this research are instrumental in enhancing social cohesion by addressing the distinctive needs of this demographic.

Indexed as

aggressive behaviorChinese college studentsonly-childparenting stylesself-esteem

Identifiers

PMID40026338
PMCPMC11872094

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.