Psychological-behavioral characteristics and fractures in children are closely related.

This work aimed to study the relationship between psychological-behavioral characteristics and fractures in children to provide a basis for development of preventive strategies. The study included 84 children hospitalized for fractures (fracture group) and 78 children without fractures (control group). The following questionnaires were utilized: temperament questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). There were more children with problem behaviors in the fracture group than in the control group (P<0.01). Furthermore, level of activity and attention dispersion showed a significant relationship with fractures (P<0.05). Scores for the psychoticism, extroversion, and neuroticism subscales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were higher for the fracture group than the control group (P<0.05 or <0.01). For the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, the average score for boys and/or girls was higher in the fracture group than the control group in 4-5-year and/or 6-11-year olds. In addition, in 6-11-year olds, boys in the fracture group had higher scores for restlessness, aggression, and violation of discipline and girls in the fracture group had higher scores for aggression and depression than those in the control group (P<0.05). Children with fractures had more psychological and behavioral problems. Psychological intervention measures could be adopted to reduce the occurrence of fractures in children.