Child maltreatment as reported in a survey of the parents and teachers of primary school-aged children in Tonga

Langridge, Fiona; Ofanoa, Malakai; Aho, George; Guttenbeil-Likiliki, 'Ofa-Ki-Levuka Louise; Fakakovikaetau, Toakase; Wilkinson‐Meyers, Laura; Percival, Teuila; Grant, Cameron

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105679

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The HRQoL results of Tongan adolescents in the OPIC study (mean PedsQL 69.4) were as low as, or even lower than that of children with serious chronic conditions in the USA, Netherlands and Korea (PedsQL 70.4–82.5). Low HRQoL may be related to a number of factors including poverty, persistent inequities 8 and, as found in this same sample, concerns around exposure to violence and abuse 24 . In a qualitative study of Samoan children living in New Zealand, 25 children expressed the importance of ‘spending time with family’, which was also a key finding in this study of Tongan children and their parents.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Low HRQoL may be related to a number of factors including poverty, persistent inequities 8 and, as found in this same sample, concerns around exposure to violence and abuse. 24 In a qualitative study of Samoan children living in New Zealand, 25 children expressed the importance of 'spending time with family', which was also a key finding in this study of Tongan children and their parents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

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Surviving versus thriving: The wellbeing of primary school aged children in Tonga

Langridge

Ofanoa

Fakakovikaetau

et al. 2021

J Paediatrics Child Health

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Aim To enable improvements in global child health, the focus must move beyond child survival to child wellbeing. In the Pacific Islands, the wellbeing of children has received little attention. This study aimed to investigate the wellbeing of children from three primary schools in Tonga. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was completed in three primary schools in Nuku'alofa with children aged 5–15 years. The study participants (256 children, 143 caregivers) completed the Child Health and Illness Profile – Child Edition, CHIP‐CE (Version 1.0). Results On average, >70% of children and caregivers described home and school environments as positive. From the children's reports, boys had significantly lower scores for risk avoidance than girls (3.40 vs. 3.73, P < 0.001). Children aged 5–7 versus 8–15 years had significantly lower scores for satisfaction (3.63 vs. 3.92, P = 0.002), resilience (3.34 vs. 3.56, P = 0.016) and achievement (3.25 vs. 3.62, P = 0.002). From the caregivers' report, girls had significantly lower scores for academic performance than boys (3.60 vs. 3.81, P = 0.04). Boys had significantly lower scores for individual risk association compared to girls (3.93 vs. 4.29, P = 0.01). Overall CHIP‐CE scores were lower than those of comparable populations in the West, while at the same time protective factors were documented. Conclusions Understanding child wellbeing in the Pacific is critical for strengthening protective factors known to mitigate poor child health outcomes. Continuing to base global child health success on child survival alone misses opportunities for improving the wellbeing of nations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Surviving versus thriving: The wellbeing of primary school aged children in Tonga

Langridge

Ofanoa

Fakakovikaetau

et al. 2021

J Paediatrics Child Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Key health issues were identified for the children from the three primary schools surveyed in Tonga, including: physical health: oral health, ear health, overweight, injury, pain, respiratory conditions (including sore throat/RHD), gastrointestinal issues, skin conditions and non‐physical health: hardship related to access to sufficient supply of food, low health‐related quality of life and exposure to violence and abuse 22 . Encouragingly the exploratory study results showed the children had good functional vision 23 and described warm and loving family interactions.…”

Section: Successesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the health status of primary school children in Tonga: Lessons learnt and reflections on field work in the Pacific Islands

Langridge

Ofanoa

Hamm

et al. 2023

J Paediatrics Child Health

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Globally, the child health focus has been on reducing under‐5‐year mortality, with large populations in low‐resource regions prioritised. Children in older age groups, particularly in less populated regions such as the Pacific, have received limited attention. Child health research in the Pacific region has been lacking, and research approaches for the region have historically been from Western biomedical paradigms. We completed the study of primary school children's health over a period of 5 years. Firstly, we conducted a literature review, then we completed an audit of hospital admissions of primary school children, then we completed a two‐round Delphi process and finally, we piloted the survey in three primary schools. Our results found there were high levels of oral health problems, ear health, obesity and exposure to violence and poverty impacting on the quality of health of primary school‐age children. Identifying these indicators was made possible by the partnerships and trust established by the study team and provides specific and measurable targets for future work to improve the quality of child health outcomes. This paper describes key field work lessons learnt for research in the Pacific region. It must: (i) be on the platform of relationship, cultural safety and local ownership; (ii) include consideration of holistic Pacific paradigms of health; (iii) be adaptive to the context and environment; and (iv) be committed to long‐term partnership and work.

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Survey Results of School Practitioner Preparedness to Address Child Maltreatment in Fiji

Pietrantoni

Chitiyo

Alasa

2023

Int. Journal on Child Malt.

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Child maltreatment as reported in a survey of the parents and teachers of primary school-aged children in Tonga

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

Surviving versus thriving: The wellbeing of primary school aged children in Tonga

Surviving versus thriving: The wellbeing of primary school aged children in Tonga

Investigating the health status of primary school children in Tonga: Lessons learnt and reflections on field work in the Pacific Islands

Survey Results of School Practitioner Preparedness to Address Child Maltreatment in Fiji

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