Parental migration and health of children left behind

While the number of parents migrating to seek jobs elsewhere leaving young children in the care of others has been common, little is known about the positive or negative consequences for children. This study uses both bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine the impact of parental out-migration on the health of children left behind. Data were derived from “Migration and Health, Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System (KDSS), 2007, Thailand”. A total of 11,241 children were the study population.

The study found that 14.5% of children had either one or both migrant parents in the Kanchanaburi study area. One out of four children (25%) had an incidence of illness. A significantly higher percentage of children whose mother, father or both had migrated had an illness compared to those whose parent(s) were not migrants. Several individual, household, and community factors were significantly associated with children’s health. Multivariate analysis suggests that parental out-migration in poor households is independently associated with a higher likelihood of an illness. The findings also suggest that strategies to alleviate the negative impact of parental migration as well as to maintain and enhance the well-being of families, especially among the children left behind in poor households, are warranted.