A method for determining an association between logical channel groups, comprising: receiving, by a first backhaul node, a first buffer status report from a first device, wherein the first buffer status report is used to determine uplink buffer statuses of one or more first logical channel groups of a media access control MAC entity corresponding to the first backhaul node and the first device, the first device is a child node of the first backhaul node, and the first device is a terminal or a second backhaul node; determining, by the first backhaul node based on the one or more first logical channel groups and a first mapping relationship, second logical channel groups associated with the one or more first logical channel groups, wherein a second device is a parent node of the first backhaul node, the second device is a donor node or a third backhaul node, and the first mapping relationship comprises: a mapping relationship between the one or more first logical channel groups and the one or more second logical channel groups of a MAC entity corresponding to the first backhaul node and the second device; determining, by the first backhaul node based on the uplink buffer statuses of the one or more first logical channel groups and the first mapping relationship, a second buffer status report sent by the first backhaul node to the second device, wherein the second buffer status report comprises buffer statuses of the second logical channel groups associated with the one or more first logical channel groups, wherein the second buffer status report is used to report, to the second device, an uplink buffer status that is on the second logical channel group and that does not reach the first backhaul node; characterized in that the method further comprises: when the second buffer status report is triggered, triggering, by the first backhaul node, starting of a timer; and when the timer expires, canceling, by the first backhaul node, the second buffer status report. receiving, by a first backhaul node, a first buffer status report from a first device, wherein the first buffer status report is used to determine uplink buffer statuses of one or more first logical channel groups of a media access control MAC entity corresponding to the first backhaul node and the first device, the first device is a child node of the first backhaul node, and the first device is a terminal or a second backhaul node; determining, by the first backhaul node based on the one or more first logical channel groups and a first mapping relationship, second logical channel groups associated with the one or more first logical channel groups, wherein a second device is a parent node of the first backhaul node, the second device is a donor node or a third backhaul node, and the first mapping relationship comprises: a mapping relationship between the one or more first logical channel groups and the one or more second logical channel groups of a MAC entity corresponding to the first backhaul node and the second device; determining, by the first backhaul node based on the uplink buffer statuses of the one or more first logical channel groups and the first mapping relationship, a second buffer status report sent by the first backhaul node to the second device, wherein the second buffer status report comprises buffer statuses of the second logical channel groups associated with the one or more first logical channel groups, wherein the second buffer status report is used to report, to the second device, an uplink buffer status that is on the second logical channel group and that does not reach the first backhaul node; characterized in that the method further comprises: when the second buffer status report is triggered, triggering, by the first backhaul node, starting of a timer; and when the timer expires, canceling, by the first backhaul node, the second buffer status report. when the second buffer status report is triggered, triggering, by the first backhaul node, starting of a timer; and when the timer expires, canceling, by the first backhaul node, the second buffer status report.