Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population
Objectives: To examine the effect of parental rural-to-urban internal migration on nutritional status of left-behind children and how this is related to guardianship. Methods: We used UNICEF China’s maternal and child health survey data to investigate stunting prevalence and feeding practices in ch...
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer
2016
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34180/ |
| _version_ | 1848794792653225984 |
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| author | Ban, Lu Guo, Sufang Scherpbier, Robert W. Wang, Xiaoli Zhou, Hong Tata, Laila J. |
| author_facet | Ban, Lu Guo, Sufang Scherpbier, Robert W. Wang, Xiaoli Zhou, Hong Tata, Laila J. |
| author_sort | Ban, Lu |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Objectives: To examine the effect of parental rural-to-urban internal migration on nutritional status of left-behind children and how this is related to guardianship.
Methods: We used UNICEF China’s maternal and child health survey data to investigate stunting prevalence and feeding practices in children left behind by rural-to-urban internal migrant parents. We also assessed the effects of primary guardianship which is related closely with parental migration.
Results: Of 6,136 children aged 0-3 years, over one third was left behind by one or both parents. About 13% were left behind by mothers, leaving guardianship primarily to grandmothers. Left-behind status was not associated with stunting, yet children who were cared for primarily by their fathers had a 32% increase of stunting compared to children cared for by the mothers (adjusted odds ratio[aOR]=1.32;95% confidence interval=1.04-1.67). Children with migrant mothers were less likely to receive age-appropriate breastfeeding (aOR=0.04;0.02-0.10) and a minimum acceptable diet (aOR=0.56;0.39-0.79) compared with non-left-behind children.
Conclusions: Guardian’s feeding behaviours varied, and was inappropriate for both children affected and not affected by parent’s rural-to-urban internal migration. Community-based infant and young child feeding counselling and support should be provided to all caregivers. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:21:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-34180 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:21:50Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Springer |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-341802020-05-04T17:55:55Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34180/ Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population Ban, Lu Guo, Sufang Scherpbier, Robert W. Wang, Xiaoli Zhou, Hong Tata, Laila J. Objectives: To examine the effect of parental rural-to-urban internal migration on nutritional status of left-behind children and how this is related to guardianship. Methods: We used UNICEF China’s maternal and child health survey data to investigate stunting prevalence and feeding practices in children left behind by rural-to-urban internal migrant parents. We also assessed the effects of primary guardianship which is related closely with parental migration. Results: Of 6,136 children aged 0-3 years, over one third was left behind by one or both parents. About 13% were left behind by mothers, leaving guardianship primarily to grandmothers. Left-behind status was not associated with stunting, yet children who were cared for primarily by their fathers had a 32% increase of stunting compared to children cared for by the mothers (adjusted odds ratio[aOR]=1.32;95% confidence interval=1.04-1.67). Children with migrant mothers were less likely to receive age-appropriate breastfeeding (aOR=0.04;0.02-0.10) and a minimum acceptable diet (aOR=0.56;0.39-0.79) compared with non-left-behind children. Conclusions: Guardian’s feeding behaviours varied, and was inappropriate for both children affected and not affected by parent’s rural-to-urban internal migration. Community-based infant and young child feeding counselling and support should be provided to all caregivers. Springer 2016-06-18 Article PeerReviewed Ban, Lu, Guo, Sufang, Scherpbier, Robert W., Wang, Xiaoli, Zhou, Hong and Tata, Laila J. (2016) Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population. International Journal of Public Health . ISSN 1661-8564 stunting nutritional status feeding practice rural-to-urban internal migration left-behind children guardianship http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00038-016-0844-6 doi:10.1007/s00038-016-0844-6 doi:10.1007/s00038-016-0844-6 |
| spellingShingle | stunting nutritional status feeding practice rural-to-urban internal migration left-behind children guardianship Ban, Lu Guo, Sufang Scherpbier, Robert W. Wang, Xiaoli Zhou, Hong Tata, Laila J. Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title | Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title_full | Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title_fullStr | Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title_short | Child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western Chinese population |
| title_sort | child feeding and stunting prevalence in left-behind children: a descriptive analysis of data from a central and western chinese population |
| topic | stunting nutritional status feeding practice rural-to-urban internal migration left-behind children guardianship |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34180/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34180/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34180/ |