Analysis of the current state and influencing factors of loneliness among Chinese children aged 8-18 years

Front Public Health. 2026 May 18;14:1798442. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1798442. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The phenomenon of childhood loneliness extends beyond its implications for psychological development, potentially exerting significant effects on mental health and social adaptation. This study investigates the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV), perceived stress, and media exposure on childhood loneliness, offering empirical evidence to enhance understanding and inform strategies to address this issue.

METHODS: This study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and employed stratified and quota sampling techniques to select children’s hospitals across 18 provinces and municipalities in mainland China. Participants were assessed for intimate partner violence using the IPV scale, perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4), media exposure using the Media Exposure Scale, and loneliness using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS). Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were also collected. The analysis employed Antonovsky’s sense of coherence (SOC) model, along with univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses, to investigate the factors influencing loneliness.

RESULTS: A total of 4,404 questionnaires were collected, with male participants comprising 53.07% and female participants comprising 46.93% of the sample. The mean age of the participants was 13.60 years, with a standard deviation (SD) of 2.85 years. The mean scores for loneliness, intimate partner violence, perceived stress, and media exposure were 4.70 (SD = 1.70), 7.42 (SD = 3.03), 6.55 (SD = 2.82), and 21.28 (SD = 5.89), respectively. Loneliness was positively correlated with intimate partner violence (r = 0.320, p < 0.001), perceived stress (r = 0.454, p < 0.001), and media exposure (r = 0.141, p < 0.001). A multivariate regression analysis indicated that intimate partner violence (β = 0.102, p < 0.001), perceived stress (β = 0.225, p < 0.001), and media exposure (β = 0.028, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of loneliness.

CONCLUSION: Intimate partner violence, perceived stress, and media exposure have significant effects on loneliness among Chinese children. Interventions aimed at improving family environments, enhancing resilience to stress, and guiding appropriate media use may effectively reduce loneliness and promote healthy child development.

PMID:42232946 | PMC:PMC13222981 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1798442