Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40230877›Full record

ArticleLancet regional health. Americas2025

Child abuse prevalence estimates in Canada; comparisons of nationally representative data from 2012 to 2022: a population-based study.

Tracie O Afifi, Julie-Anne McCarthy, Ana Osorio, Lauren MacGowan, Tamara L Taillieu, Ashley Stewart-Tufescu, Jitender Sareen, Harriet L MacMillan, Lil Tonmyr, Ian Colman and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Lancet regional health. Americas, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Self-reported spanking history among adults in Canada: Prevalence, experiences, and attitudinal beliefs.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026
    Article
  3. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Article
  4. Trust in radiation treatment for cancer challenged by childhood trauma.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Article
  5. 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

13 authors.

Tracie O AfifiDepartments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Julie-Anne McCarthyDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Ana OsorioDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Lauren MacGowanDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Tamara L TaillieuDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Ashley Stewart-TufescuFaculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Jitender SareenDepartments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Harriet L MacMillanDepartments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, and of Pediatrics, McMaster University.
Lil TonmyrFamily Violence Epidemiology Section, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
Ian ColmanSchool of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Mark A FerroSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
Kelly K AndersonDepartments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Psychiatry, Western University, London, Canada.
Jordan EdwardsDepartments of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Up-to-date nationally representative Canadian statistics on child abuse with a focus on sex, sexual identity, and age cohorts are overdue. The objective of the current study was to examine child abuse prevalence estimates (physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to intimate partner violence (EIPV), and any child abuse) among adult Canadians, associations with sex (male or female), sexual identity (heterosexual, lesbian or gay, bisexual, or other), and age cohort, and to compare data from 2022 with 2012. Methods: Data were obtained from two Statistics Canada cross-sectional surveys: 1) the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (2012 CCHS-MH; n = 23,395; 18+ years) and 2) the 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care (2022 MHACS; n = 9409; 18+ years). Findings: The prevalence of any child abuse in Canada in 2022 was 34.4%, which was significantly higher compared to 2012 (32.1%; p = 0.006). Among the youngest respondents (18-27 years), the prevalence of any child abuse had also increased from 21.7% in 2012 to 26.8% in 2022 (p = 0.002). Sex and age cohort differences were noted. In addition, those identifying as other than heterosexual generally had increased odds of child abuse experiences (Adjusted Odds Ratios ranging from 1.48 to 3.12). Interpretation: The retrospective self-reported prevalence in 2022 was 2.3 percentage points higher compared to 2012. There continues to be a widespread need to develop approaches focusing on child abuse prevention and response, and to ensure that providers receive training in how to recognize and respond safely to family violence, including child abuse. Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Canada Research Chair.

Indexed as

Age cohortsChild abuseNationally representative dataSexSexual identity

Identifiers

PMID40230877
PMCPMC11994391

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.