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Erschienen in:
15.10.2020 | Original article
How parental migration affects early social–emotional development of left-behind children in rural China: a structural equation modeling analysis
Erschienen in: International Journal of Public Health | Ausgabe 9/2020
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Objectives
This study assessed the early social–emotional development of left-behind children (LBC) in rural China and determined the mediating factors linking parental migration to LBC’s developmental outcome.
Methods
We used cross-sectional data of 845 LBC under 3 years old from five counties in rural China in 2018. Social–emotional problems were assessed by the ages and stages questionnaires: social–emotional. Family structure, function, and child nurturing care practices were measured to explore their roles in potential pathways of parental migration affecting early social–emotional development.
Results
36.4% of LBC were identified with social–emotional problems; the rate was higher among LBC with migrant parents than those with migrant fathers (39.9% vs. 30.5%, adjusted OR: 1.40 [95% CI 1.01, 1.93]). Results of structural equation modeling reveal that caregivers’ low education and depressive symptoms, poor migrant–caregiver communication, family poverty, and no assistant caregiving weakened home parenting environment, and then contributed to LBC’s social–emotional problems.
Conclusions
LBC in early childhood may be at a high risk of social–emotional problems, which are primarily caused by the transition of family structure and function and consequently weakened home environment.