Study On Self-Esteem And Its Influential Factors Of Left-behind Children In One Rural Area Of Anhui Province

Objective: To explore the self-esteem of left-behind children and its influentialfactors in one rural area of Anhui Province, so as to provide the basis for the furtherpointed mental health education and early intervention program of the development ofchildren self-esteem.Methods: Changfeng County of Anhui Province is selected as the target field.3169students were recruited as the subjects from Changfeng County of Anhui Province withcluster sampling method. Data were collected by using the Children’s Self-EsteemScale, the Family APGAR Index, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and the SocialAnxiety Scale, etc. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to evaluatethe influential factors of the self-esteem among left-behind children.Results:1694left-behind children, accounted for58.1％of the total students, weresurveyed. Data from the analysis of covariance showed that the difference ofself-esteem between the left-behind children and non-left-behind children wasstatistically significant（F=3.942，P＜0.05) only when adjusting the negative copingstyles, social anxiety and family function simultaneously. The average of total scores ofchildren self-esteem between the left-behind children and the non-left-behind childrenby the covariance analysis of adjusted the negative coping styles, social anxiety andfamily function simultaneously are (93.95±10.41) and (93.18±10.42). The self-esteemscore of the left-behind children was higher than that among the non-left-behindchildren; The self-esteem among male left-behind children was higher than that amongfemale left-behind children,with significant statistically difference (t=3.549,P<0.001); In term of the total score of the left-behind children self-esteem, there was statisticalsignificant differences between different grade, the only child, mother death, culturaldegree of parent education, family income, academic achievement, peer relationships,teacher-student relationship, situation of play truant, situation of attend extracurricularactivities and types of guardianship (P<0.05).Additionally, data from the single factoranalysis result showed the family function, quality of life, height, score of positivecoping styles, score of children social anxiety, children neglect and physical abuse,score of negative coping styles were related with the total score of the left-behindchildren self-esteem.The stepwise linear regression revealed that height, academicachievement, peer relationships, family function, quality of life, children social anxiety,positive coping styles and negative coping styles entered regression equation. Data frommultivariable linear regression analysis showed that the left-behind children who hadhigher height, well academic achievement, well peer relationships, well family function,good quality of life and taking positive coping styles were more vulnerable to promotethe level of the left-behind children self-esteem; the left-behind children with high scoreof children’s social anxiety and taking negative coping styles had lower level ofself-esteem.Conclusion: According to the ecological system development, many comprehensiveeffect factors of ecological subsystem were found to be involved in children self-esteemamong left-behind children, especially height, academic achievement, peer relationships,family function, quality of life, children social anxiety, positive coping styles andnegative coping styles. It is helpful to promote the level of self-esteem among children,especially in the left-behind children in rural area based on the cooperation of society,school and family, etc.