Self-injurious behavior among college students and its association with parental rearing styles

Objective To examine epidemiology of self-injurious behavior and explore the association between self-injurious behavior and parental rearing styles, to provide the theoretical basis for the identification, prevention and occurrence of the self-injurious behaviors among adolescents. Methods Stratified cluster sampling was used to survey 3 683 students from three colleges in Wuhu and Huainan by using questionnaire response. Egna Minnen avBarn-dosnauppforstran (EMBU) and demographic characteristics were used by college students to assess their self-injurious behavior and parental rearing styles. Results For college students, the detection rate of reporting of 1-2 self-injurious behavior was 30.4%, and the rate of reporting of 3 or more self-injurious behavior was 11.8%. In terms of the occurrences of self-injurious behavior, gender (χ2=76.98), classification of colleges and universities (χ2=153.71) and the relationship with father (χ2=47.48) and with mother (χ2=40.01) were markedly different (P<0.05). Correlation and regression analysis indicated that the risks leading to self-injurious behavior were involved in medical students, overprotection from father and preference from mother (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.64-2.55; OR=1.13, 95%CI=1.06-1.20; OR=1.05, 95%CI=1.01-1.09). Conclusion Female students and medical students can be inclined to self-injurious behavior. Parental rearing styles were related to the self-injurious behaviors of college students. Strengthening interaction between students and parents, providing appropriate emotional warmth as well as encouraging the establishment of a good family atmosphere may reduce the occurrence of self-injurious behavior in current college students.