BMJ Open
Volume 5, Issue 12, 2015

Parental migration patterns and risk of depression and anxiety disorder among rural children aged 10-18 years in China: A cross-sectional study (Article) (Open Access)

Shen M.* , Gao J. , Liang Z. , Wang Y. , Du Y. , Stallones L.
  • a Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  • b Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  • c Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  • d Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  • e Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
  • f Department of Psychology, Colorado Injury Control Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to explore the prevalence of depression and anxiety in left-behind children, and to identify patterns of parents' migration and relative factors associated with depression and anxiety risk in this population. Setting: A cross-sectional survey using a schoolbased sample was conducted in Puyang, Hebei, North China in December 2012. Participants: 2283 students aged 10-18 years. Main outcome measures: Parental migration status, depression and anxiety disorder. Results: 61.2% of participants were left-behind children. The prevalence rate of depression among leftbehind children with both parents migrating (14.2%) was higher than that of children with one parent migrating (11.7%) and no parent migrating (12.6%). The prevalence rate of anxiety disorder for children with no parent migrating (25.1%) was higher than that for children living with one or neither parent (22.2% and 22.0%). The risk factors for depression were low-level social support (OR=3.46, 95% CI 2.00 to 6.01), average academic performance (OR=2.37, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.3) and low academic performance (OR=3.01, 95% CI 1.92 to 4.72), staying up late (OR=1.67, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.39), having difficulty falling asleep (OR=2.04, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.82) and being an only child (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.89). The factors associated with anxiety disorder were being female (OR=2.09, 95% CI 1.64 to 2.66), being in high school (OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.36), physical abuse (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.15), having difficulty falling asleep (OR=1.67, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.10) and low-level social support (OR=2.17, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.28) and middle-level social support (OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.56). Conclusions: Parents' migration was not associated with depression and anxiety in rural children aged 10- 18 years, but academic performance at school, sleep problems and lack of social support were associated with depression and anxiety.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

anxiety Parents China depression anxiety disorder human sex difference statistics and numerical data rural population psychiatric diagnosis social support achievement academic achievement Cross-Sectional Studies Surveys and Questionnaires physical abuse Sleep Wake Disorders cross-sectional study Humans mental patient Adolescent sleep disorder male parent female risk factor questionnaire high risk population diagnostic test accuracy study Parent-Child Relations prevalence child psychiatry Article major clinical study Child Abuse adult migration only child Sex Factors Emigration and Immigration high school student parental behavior disease association child parent relation Child

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84960328330&doi=10.1136%2fbmjopen-2015-007802&partnerID=40&md5=c1771af6749c580ce273af2c941047e5

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007802
ISSN: 20446055
Cited by: 22
Original Language: English