Table 2.
Nutritional and psychological status of children from migrant and comparative non-migrant households
| Left-behind Children (%) | Comparative Children (%) | Group difference (chi 2 , df, p-value) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutritional status of children aged 6–59 months a | 2.28 (4), p = 0.061 | ||
| Overweight | 4(3.6) | 3(2.7) | |
| Normal weight | 42(38.2) | 53(46.9) | |
| Risk of Underweight | 31(28.2) | 37(32.7) | |
| Underweight | 27(24.5) | 20(17.7) | |
| Severely underweight | 6(5.5) | 0 | |
| Child psychopathology scores (SDQ Domains) b | |||
| Emotional problems | 30 (10.9) | 9(3.4) | 6.60 (1), p = 0.010 |
| Conduct problems | 108(39.3) | 84(31.3) | 3.75 (1), p = 0.053 |
| Hyperactivity disorder | 22(8.0) | 8(3.0) | 11.82 (1), p = 0.001 |
| Any psychiatric diagnosis | 119(43.3) | 90(33.6) | 5.42 (1), p = 0.020 |
aUnderweight reflects both chronic malnutrition and acute malnutrition. It is measured by weight relative to age (WFA). Normal weight is defined as a WFA z-score of + 2 to – 1 SD. Underweight is defined for a z-score of < −2 and ≥ −3 SD. Severely underweight a z-score < −3 SD. Overweight represents excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health, and is measured by calculating the child’s Body Mass Index against their age - labelled ‘weight for height’ (WFH). The range for ‘overweight’ is a z-score > +2 and ≤ +3 SD.
bThe SDQ domain ‘any psychiatric diagnosis’ aggregates emotional, conduct and behavioural scores to provide a potential measure a person has to develop or have a psychiatric disorder.