title: Association between migration and physical activity of school-age children left behind in rural Mexico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to explore in rural communities of Mexico, the association between physical activity (PA) in school-age children and exposure to migration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured PA through a questionnaire validated in school-age children and used in Mexican National Surveys. Migration status was measured as the number of years a family member had been in the US, and the amount of remittances that family member had sent to their household in Mexico. We used multivariable linear regression to measure the association between physical activity and migration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  School-age children who had a migrant family member spent less time on PA per day, especially recreation activities, compared to school-age children without the migrating influence. Also, children who belonged to a family that received remittances and their migrant relative lived ≥ 5 years in US were less likely to engage in PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to migration may predict reduction in PA in school-age children left behind in Mexican rural communities from the State of Morelos. These findings call for PA-tailored interventions that consider household migration characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, México, gapalux@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palos-Lucio
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera-Pasquel
authors.forename: V Nelly
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Salgado-de-Snyder
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monterrubio
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henao
authors.forename: Nayeli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Macias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants