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What Effect Does International Migration Have on the Nutritional Status and Child Care Practices of Children Left

Renuka Jayatissa1, Kolitha Wickramage2

  • 1Department of Nutrition, Medical Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka. renukajayatissa@ymail.com.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 19, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Child malnutrition is a concern in Sri Lanka, especially for children left behind by migrant workers. While fathers migrating positively impacts care, mothers migrating correlates with higher undernutrition risks in poorer households.

Area of Science:

  • Child Nutrition and Health
  • Migration Studies
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Sri Lanka experiences increasing labor migration, leading to economic dependence on migrant workers.
  • The nutritional status and care practices of "children left behind" by migrant parents are under-researched.
  • Understanding these impacts is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine factors influencing the nutritional status of children left behind by international migrant workers.
  • To assess the care practices of these children.
  • To identify specific risks associated with parental migration patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional, nationally represented study of 321 children aged 6-59 months.
  • Assessment of care practices through ten caregiving behaviors (hygiene, feeding, health services).
  • Analysis of nutritional status indicators: stunting, wasting, and underweight.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of stunting (11.6%), wasting (18.2%), and underweight (24.0%) identified.
  • Father's migrant status positively influenced childcare practices and child's birthweight.
  • Mothers migrating were associated with higher undernutrition risks in poorer households.

Conclusions:

  • Undernutrition remains a significant public health issue for children left behind in Sri Lanka.
  • Maternal migration, particularly in poorer households, poses a heightened risk.
  • Further research is needed to develop targeted support for migrant families and their children.

Keywords:
child carechildren left behindlabour migrationmigrant familiesnutritional status

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