title: Depression risk of 'left-behind children' in rural China.
abstract: The study aims to explore the risk of depression in left-behind children in grades four-six in rural China and to identify the factors associated with increased depression risk in this population. In Hubei Xiantao, a school-based sample of 1000 children was recruited with 875 children (590 left-behind children, 285 controls) providing all relevant information. The adjusted mean children's depression inventory (CDI) score of left-behind children was significantly higher than that of controls (P<0.01). Left-behind children's depression risk rate was much higher than control's (P<0.01). Left-behind children had a higher likelihood of depression risk than controls (migrant fathers: adjusted odds ratio (OR)=3.42, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.86-6.28; migrant mothers: OR=2.62, 95% CI=1.10-6.22; migrant parents: OR=2.73, 95% CI=1.77-4.20). Respondents with low socioeconomic status (SES) (OR=2.64, 95% CI=1.42-4.93) had a higher likelihood of depression risk than the middle SES cohort. With middle levels of social support as the referent, respondents with low levels of social support (OR=5.86, 95% CI=3.90-8.79) had a higher likelihood of depression risk; respondents with high levels of social support (OR=0.50, 95% CI=0.29-0.86) had a lower likelihood of depression risk. The results indicate that the left-behind children are at greater risk for developing depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169# East-Lake Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, PR China. heby2005@sina.com
authors.forename: Bingyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jingyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Kaishing
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D012306:Risk; D012424:Rural Population; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires