TY - JOUR
T1 - Demographic factors, childhood maltreatment and psychological functioning among university students' in Ghana
T2 - A retrospective study
AU - Adjorlolo, Samuel
AU - Adu-Poku, Sarah
AU - Andoh-Arthur, Johnny
AU - Botchway, Irene
AU - Mlyakado, Budeba Petro
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 International Union of Psychological Science
PY - 2017/12
Y1 - 2017/12
N2 - This study retrospectively investigates the influence of child (i.e., gender), care-giver (e.g., who grew up with), household size (i.e., number of siblings grew up with) and community (i.e., rural versus urban) factors on childhood maltreatment, as well as the impacts of maltreatment on psychological functioning. A cross-sectional survey and self-report methodology is used to gather data from 300 students of the University of Ghana. The results show that being a male, growing up in rural areas, living with more than 3 siblings in the same household and being raised by both biological parents have significant main effects on childhood maltreatment. Analyses of the interaction effects show that living with more than 5 siblings in a rural household with “other” parents (i.e., non-biological parents) has a significant effect on physical abuse. Furthermore, males from rural households consisting of more than 3 siblings and who did not grow up with both biological parents endorsed significantly more physical abuse and physical neglect, compared with the females. With respect to the psychological outcome, childhood maltreatment significantly predicts and account for significant variance in depression (34%), self-efficacy (18%) and life satisfaction (22%). The findings and the implications of the study are briefly discussed.
AB - This study retrospectively investigates the influence of child (i.e., gender), care-giver (e.g., who grew up with), household size (i.e., number of siblings grew up with) and community (i.e., rural versus urban) factors on childhood maltreatment, as well as the impacts of maltreatment on psychological functioning. A cross-sectional survey and self-report methodology is used to gather data from 300 students of the University of Ghana. The results show that being a male, growing up in rural areas, living with more than 3 siblings in the same household and being raised by both biological parents have significant main effects on childhood maltreatment. Analyses of the interaction effects show that living with more than 5 siblings in a rural household with “other” parents (i.e., non-biological parents) has a significant effect on physical abuse. Furthermore, males from rural households consisting of more than 3 siblings and who did not grow up with both biological parents endorsed significantly more physical abuse and physical neglect, compared with the females. With respect to the psychological outcome, childhood maltreatment significantly predicts and account for significant variance in depression (34%), self-efficacy (18%) and life satisfaction (22%). The findings and the implications of the study are briefly discussed.
KW - Africa
KW - Child abuse
KW - Child maltreatment
KW - Ghana
KW - Psychological functioning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84952909935&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ijop.12248
DO - 10.1002/ijop.12248
M3 - Article
C2 - 26708777
AN - SCOPUS:84952909935
SN - 0020-7594
VL - 52
SP - 9
EP - 17
JO - International Journal of Psychology
JF - International Journal of Psychology
ER -