Childhood poly-victimization and children’s health: A nationally representative study

Abstract Background Although research on the negative effects of childhood poly-victimization is substantial, few studies have examined the relationship between poly-victimization and younger children’s physical health and diseases. Objective This study examines the associations between poly-victimization and children’s health problems requiring medical attention. Methods A national stratified cluster random sampling was used to select and approach 25% of the total primary schools in Taiwan, and 49% of the approached schools agreed to participate in this study. We collected data with a self-report questionnaire from 6233 (4th-grade) students aged 10–11, covering every city and county in Taiwan. Results Logistic regression analyses demonstrate a significant dose-response relationship between children’s poly-victimization exposure and their health problems including hospitalization, serious injury, surgery, daily-medication requirements, heart murmurs, asthma, dizziness or fainting, allergies, kidney disease, therapies for special needs, smoking, and alcohol use. The results indicate that children’s risk of having a health problem grew significantly with each increase in the number of victimization types that children experienced. Conclusions These research findings underscore the effect of poly-victimization on children’s health problems requiring medical attention, and stress the need for both proper screening methods for children’s exposure to poly-victimization and stronger awareness of poly-victimization’s effects on health conditions in healthcare clinics.