title: Do different parenting patterns impact the health and physical growth of 'left-behind' preschool-aged children? A cross-sectional study in rural China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many migrants from rural China seek work in urban areas and leave their children in their home villages to be raised by relatives. These children are often referred to as 'left-behind children'. Parental migration tends to have a profound impact on a child's growth. This study sought to assess the prevalence of illness and malnutrition among children in rural areas raised with different parenting patterns and to explore factors affecting their health and development.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the physical health of children raised with different parenting patterns and to explore associated risk factors. In total, this study examined 735 children ages 3-6 years in eight rural villages in two counties of Shandong Province. Their primary caregivers were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken and their nutritional status was determined according to WHO Child Growth Standards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study found a relatively high prevalence of wasting, overweight and obesity among left-behind children. After potential confounders were controlled for, the parenting pattern, annual household income and health literacy of the primary caregiver significantly influenced the health and developmental indicators of children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlighted the impact of the characteristics of the primary caregiver on a child's health and development and the importance of practical interventions for preschool-aged children who are left behind and raised with different parenting patterns.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Management and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China ruoyangtobe@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiuting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Management and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Lingzhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Management and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Huiwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Management and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Xinhai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 2 Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the City of Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Furong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Management and Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Ruoyan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gai Tobe
mesh_terms: D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016487:Parenting; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*