The association between parental migration and early childhood nutrition of left-behind children in rural China

Abstract

Background: More than one-third of children under 3 years old are left behind at home due to parental migration in rural China, and we know very little about early childhood nutrition of left-behind children (LBC) because of the dearth of research. This study examined the association between parental migration and early childhood nutrition of LBC in rural China. Methods: We used repeated cross-sectional data of rural children aged 6-35 months who participated in two surveys in six counties of northern and southern China in 2013 and 2016 respectively. The length, weight, and hemoglobin concentration were measured by trained health-care workers blinded to parental migration status. Stunting, underweight, wasting, and anemia were identified with the standards recommended by WHO. Generalized linear regressions and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to explore the association between parental migration and these nutritional outcomes at each time point. Results: Two thousand three hundred thirty-six and 2210 children aged 6-35 months were enrolled in 2013 and 2016, respectively. The results show a reduction of the risks of stunting, underweight, and wasting from 2013 (16.4, 8.5, and 3.5%, respectively) to 2016 (12.1, 4.0, and 1.5%, respectively) but highlight a constantly and alarmingly high risk of anemia among these children (44.8% in 2013 and 43.8% in 2016). Children with migrant fathers performed as well as or better than those with non-migrants on these indicators. Children with migrant parents performed slightly worse in 2013, but equal or slightly superior in 2016 on these indicators compared with children with nonmigrants and migrant fathers. Children aged 6-17 months with migrant parents had a significantly lower risk of anemia than those living with their mothers or with both parents (43.1% vs. 63.6% and 61.5 in 2013, and 42.5 vs. 60.1 and 66.2% in 2016), even after controlling for children's sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: Parental migration may be not detrimental and even beneficial to early childhood nutrition of LBC in rural China. Continued nutritional support is needed for all rural children, especially interventions for preventing micronutrient deficiency. Programs for LBC are recommended to continue to focus on nutrition but pay more attention to other important health issues.

Impact of parent-child separation on children’s social-emotional development: a cross-sectional study of left-behind children in poor rural areas of China

“…Several studies have highlighted the psychological problems of caregivers in rural China. In repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted by UNICEF across six counties of northern and southern China, the prevalence of depression in caregivers of rural children aged 6–35 months with non-migrant parents, migrant fathers, and both migrant parents was found to be 40.0, 37.1, and 50.6% in 2013 and 35.9, 31.8, and 38.0% in 2016, respectively [ 4 ]. Previous studies have reported an association between caregivers’ depressive symptoms and social-emotional problems, probably mediated by decreased responsive parenting, lower levels of daily stimulation and acceptance, and other aspects found in poor home environments [ 22 , 31 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…The proportion of left-behind children in rural settings is 40% in South Africa, 36% in Ecuador, and 27% in the Philippines [ 2 ]. The previous literature has revealed high risks of poor nutrition, well-being, and mental health among left-behind children [ 2 – 4 ].…”

Perceived Stress, Social Support, Emotional Intelligence, and Post-Stress Growth among Chinese Left-Behind Children: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…According to Tedeschi and Calhoun [11], the PTG experience is significantly reliant on how stressful a situation is rated. Even though various researchers have reported positive [32,33], negative [34,35], or null [36,37] associations between stress and PTG, the nature and directionality of this link in a sample of left-behind children remain poorly understood. Accordingly, this study formulated the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 1.…”

The association between micronutrient powder delivery patterns and caregiver feeding behaviors in rural China

“…In our sample, the majority of primary caregivers are female (most likely mothers or grandmothers), which is another similarity to other samples in rural China. Previous studies in rural China have demonstrated high quantities of left-behind children and female caregivers, who are financially supported by caregivers who migrate away from home to find work outside the household [ 50 – 52 ]. Thus, many female primary caregivers in rural China are solely responsible for looking after children and managing household affairs [ 53 ], while other household members work outside the home to financially support the family [ 54 , 55 ].…”