Skip to main content

Table 3 Socio-demographic, migration and health related characteristics of parents in migrant and non-migrant households

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

 

Migrant spouse (%)

Comparative spouse (%)

Group difference (chi 2 , df, p-value)

Gender

18.64 (2), p = 0.001

Male

111 (28.8)

51 (13.2)

 

Female

274 (71.2)

334 (86.8)

 

Age

29.14 (1), p = 0.001

Spouse age (mean)

37.9 (0.49)

37.0 (0.39)

 

18-30

54 (14.1)

77 (18.3)

 

31-60

293 (76.3)

305 (72.4)

 

above 61

37 (9.6)

39 (9.3)

 

Ethnicity

0.86 (3), p = 0.461

Sinhala

286 (74.5)

301 (78.2)

 

Tamil

27 (7.0)

23 (6.0)

 

Muslim

61 (15.9)

56 (14.5)

 

Other

10 (2.6)

5 (1.3)

 

Education

22.55 (2), p = 0.001

No education

27 (7.0)

4 (1.0)

 

Primary

95 (24.7)

46 (11.9)

 

Secondary

263 (68.3)

335 (87.0)

 

Civil status

9.00 (2), p = 0.001

Married

345 (89.6)

374 (97.1)

 

Unmarried

7 (1.8)

2 (0.5)

 

Divorced

33 (8.6)

9 (2.3)

 

Employment

0.97 (1), p = 0.323

Non-employed

247 (64.2)

260 (67.5)

 

Employed

138 (35.8)

125 (32.5)

 

Family indebtedness

1.08 (2), p = 0.339

No (little or no debt)

214 (55.6)

229 (59.6)

 

Yes (significant levels of debt)

171 (44.4)

155 (40.4)

 

Area of residence

0.15 (1), p = 0.696

Rural

264 (68.6)

269 (69.9)

 

Urban

121 (31.4)

116 (30.1)

 

Employment type of labor migrant*

Labourer/domestic maid

249(65.5)

Not applicable

 

Services

78(20.5)

Not applicable

 

Technical

17(4.5)

Not applicable

 

Professional/other

36(9.5)

Not applicable

 

Return frequency of labor migrant

Every year

61(15.8)

Not applicable

 

Every 2–5 years

110(28.6)

Not applicable

 

Never returned/missing

214(55.6)

Not applicable

 

In-bound remittance

   

Every month

144(42.9)

Not applicable

 

Every 2–6 months/more

192(57.1)

Not applicable

 

Health-related factors

General health

  

9.97 (2), p = 0.001

Excellent

17 (4.4)

19 (5.0)

 

Fair

319 (82.9)

349 (91.1)

 

Poor

49 (12.7)

15 (3.9)

 

Current illness

  

27.94 (1), p = 0.001

Current diagnosed illness

133 (34.7)

70 (18.2)

 

No current illness

250 (65.3)

315(81.8)

 

Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD)

 

Any CMD

74 (19.2)

35 (9.1)

16.56 (1), p = 0.001

Depression

65 (16.9)

30 (7.8)

 

Somatoform disorder

22 (5.7)

12 (3.1)

 

Anxiety

8 (2.1)

2 (0.5)

 
  1. *The categories of migrant worker employment were classified according to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.