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Labor migration of parents and aggression among their offspring in China
Ma, Ying Li, Yanqi Zhang, Yi Xie, Xinyi Lin, Xiaoyi Fu, Huihang Huang, Mengxin Zhou, Weiju Ji, John S.
Ma, Ying
Li, Yanqi
Zhang, Yi
Xie, Xinyi
Lin, Xiaoyi
Fu, Huihang
Huang, Mengxin
Zhou, Weiju
Ji, John S.
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Epub Date
Issue Date
2024-02-08
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE In China, parental labor migration often leaves children behind and is potentially adversely associated with children's health. However, the association between parental migration and aggression among their offspring remains largely underexplored. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations of parental labor migration with total and subtypes of aggression among their offspring as well as potential sex differences therein. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to October 2015 among students aged 11 to 20 years from 45 public middle and high schools across 5 provinces of China. Data analysis was performed from December 1, 2022, to August 1, 2023. EXPOSURES Parental migration, including migration status (yes or no), pattern (father, mother, or both), and the child's age at the initial parent-child separation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Total and subtypes of aggression (including physical aggression [PA], verbal aggression [VA], indirect aggression [IA], anger, and hostility) were measured using the Chinese version of the Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire. Binomial logistic regression analyses were used separately to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs of parental migration by total and subtypes of aggression. RESULTS A total of 15 301 participants (7900 [51.6%] male and 7401 [48.4%] female) aged 11 to 20 years (mean [SD] age, 15.1 [1.8] years) were included. Of these participants, 5961 (39.0%) experienced parental migration; 2451 (16.0%) met the criteria for total aggression, 2407 (15.7%) for PA, 2283 (14.9%) for VA, 2899 (18.9%) for IA, 2307 (15.1%) for anger, and 2564 (16.8%) for hostility. Parental migration was associated with total aggression (aOR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.22); no significant association between parental migration and subtypes of aggression was found except for PA (aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03-1.25). Compared with children whose parents did not migrate, the aORs for total aggression and PA for participants whose father migrated were 1.12 (95% CI, 1.01-1.28) and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.03-1.29), respectively; for participants with both parents having migrated, the aORs were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.02-1.31) and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.04-1.24), respectively. Compared with children whose parents did not migrate, children who experienced initial separation from 1 or both parents at adolescence had an aOR for total aggression of 1.20 (95% CI, 1.04-1.36), children who experienced initial separation from 1 or both parents at school age or adolescence had an aOR for PA of 1.15 (95% CI, 1.01-1.32) and 1.26 (95% CI, 1.04-1.51), respectively. No sex differences were found in these associations. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study of Chinese children and adolescents, we found that parental migration, mainly of the father or both parents or an initial separation at adolescence or school age from 1 or both parents, was associated with higher odds of total aggression and PA among offspring. These associations were similar between male and female participants.
Citation
Ma Y, Li Y, Zhang Y, et al. (2024) Labor Migration of Parents and Aggression Among Their Offspring in China. JAMA Network Open, 7(2):e2355315. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55315
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38329753 (pubmed)
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Journal article
Language
en
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© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Medical Association. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814763
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ISSN
2574-3805
EISSN
2574-3805
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Sponsors
This study was supported by grants 82073571 and 81773457 (to Dr Tang) and 82204065 (to Dr Ma) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
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Licence for published version: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International