Identification of probable child maltreatment using prospectively recorded information between 5 months and 17 years in a longitudinal cohort of Canadian children

BackgroundBoth prospective and retrospective measures of child maltreatment predict mental health problems, despite their weak concordance. Research remains largely based on retrospective reports spanning the entire childhood due to a scarcity of prospectively completed questionnaires targeting maltreatment specifically. ObjectiveWe developed a prospective index of child maltreatment in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) using prospective information collected from ages 5 months to 17 years and examined its concordance with retrospective maltreatment. Participants and SettingThe QLSCD is an ongoing population-based cohort that includes 2,120 participants born from 1997-1998 in the Canadian Province of Quebec. MethodsAs the QLSCD did not have maltreatment as a focal variable, we screened 29,600 items completed by multiple informants (mothers, children, teachers, home observations) across 14 measurement points (0-17 years). Items that could reflect maltreatment were first extracted. Two maltreatment experts reviewed these items for inclusion and determined cut-offs for possible child maltreatment. Retrospective maltreatment was self-reported at 23 years. ResultsIndicators were derived across preschool, school-age and adolescence periods and by the end of childhood and adolescence, including presence (yes/no), chronicity (re-occurrence), extent of exposure and cumulative maltreatment. Across all developmental periods, the presence of maltreatment was as follows: physical abuse (16.3-21.8%), psychological abuse (3.3-21.9%), emotional neglect (20.4-21.6%), physical neglect (15.0-22.3%), supervisory neglect (25.8-44.9%), family violence (4.1-11.2%) and sexual abuse (9.5% in adolescence only). ConclusionsIn addition to the many future research opportunities offered by these prospective indicators of maltreatment, this study offers a roadmap to researchers wishing to undertake a similar task. HighlightsO_LIIn this longitudinal cohort, maltreatment experts retained 251 of 29,600 items available C_LIO_LIProbable maltreatment indicators were derived: presence, chronicity, extent of exposure, and cumulative maltreatment C_LIO_LIPrevalence rates vary from 3.3% and 44.9% across developmental periods, and 16.5-67.3% by the end of adolescence C_LIO_LIProspective and retrospective maltreatment identify different groups of individuals C_LIO_LIAs most studies use retrospective data, findings suggest that the representation of child maltreatment is incomplete and retrospective reports should be complimented by prospective data, whenever possible C_LI