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Table 2 Nutritional and psychological status of children from migrant and comparative non-migrant households

From: Risk of mental health and nutritional problems for left-behind children of international labor migrants

 

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.