A Comparative Study of Behavior Problems among Left-Behind Children, Migrant Children and Local Children

Hongwei Hu, Jiamin Gao, Haochen Jiang, Haixia Jiang, Shaoyun Guo, Kun Chen, Kaili Jin and Yingying Qi
Additional contact information
Hongwei Hu: School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
Jiamin Gao: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, No. 5, Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China
Haochen Jiang: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, North China Electric Power University, No. 689, Huadian Road, Lianchi District, Baoding 071003, China
Haixia Jiang: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, No. 5, Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China
Shaoyun Guo: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, North China Electric Power University, No. 689, Huadian Road, Lianchi District, Baoding 071003, China
Kun Chen: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, North China Electric Power University, No. 689, Huadian Road, Lianchi District, Baoding 071003, China
Kaili Jin: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, North China Electric Power University, No. 689, Huadian Road, Lianchi District, Baoding 071003, China
Yingying Qi: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, North China Electric Power University, No. 689, Huadian Road, Lianchi District, Baoding 071003, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of behavioral problems among left-behind children, migrant children and local children in China, and to compare the risks of behavioral problems among the three types of children. Data on 4479 children aged 6–16 used in this study were from a survey conducted in China in 2017. The school-age version of the Children Behavior Checklist was used to measure children’s behavioral problems. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regressions were conducted. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 18.80% and 13.59% for left-behind children and migrant children, respectively, both of which were higher than that of local children. Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustments for individual and environmental variables, the likelihood of total, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems for left-behind children and migrant children were higher than those for local children; left-behind children had a higher likelihood of internalizing problems than externalizing problems, while migrant children had a higher prevalence of externalizing problems. Left-behind children had a higher prevalence of each specific syndrome than migrant and local children. Both individual and environmental factors were associated with child behavioral problems, and family migration may contribute to the increased risks. Left-behind and migrant children were more vulnerable than local children to behavioral problems.

Keywords: behavioral problems; left-behind children; migrant children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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