Labor Migration and Experience of Social Class in Nepal: Impacts on Left Behind Children’s Wellbeing

• In Event: 2-072 - Migration and Immigration, Acculturation and Related Stress: Influence on Children’s Wellbeing

Integrative Statement

Background: Labor migration is a rising global phenomenon. Currently, there are about 232 million migrant workers around the world, and almost half of them (43%) are of Asian origin. In Nepal, more than 4 million Nepalese men travel abroad for work each year, equivalent to one-third of the country’s working male population. Research has suggested that children growing up in migrant families where one or both parents are consistently absent are more likely to have poorer mental health compared to children whose parents remained at home. However, little is known about the impact of labor migration on left-behind family members’ well-being in South Asian countries. This study examined the patterns and the mechanisms of labor migration and its impact on caregivers’ and children’s emotional wellbeing in Nepal. The study sought to understand the influence of the caste social system in this context. We studied the direct effects of labor migration, as well as the interaction of labor migration with perceived class/caste discrimination on left-behind caregiver’s and children’s emotional wellbeing.

Methods: Baseline family data collected from 359 families in a school-based violence prevention and child development promotion program evaluation study were analyzed. Nepali families with school-aged children (ages 4 to 10 attending nursery to primary grades) were recruited. Caregiver’s and children’s emotional wellbeing were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4; α =.84. .87 for anxiety, depression subscale) (Kroenke, et al., 2009) and PROMIS- Anger, Anxiety and Depression (α =.78, .89, .86) (USHHS, 2018) and were based on caregiver interview. Linear regression analysis was applied to study the mechanisms.

Results: Labor migration was highly prevalent in rural Nepal, with an estimated 49% of families having migrant parents. Among migrant families, most were father migrants (97%), work in India (56%), and in low skills labor jobs (80%). In examining the impact of labor migration, we found significant associations between labor migration and left behind caregivers and children’s emotional well-being (i.e., higher caregiver depression and child anger in migrant families than in non-migrant families). Although migrant families had better perceptions about their social class, the influence of labor migration on left behind family members’ emotional well-being was not moderated by perceived social class. Detail results are presented in Table 1.

Conclusions: Migrant families commonly experience social class disparities and discrimination, but the impact on emotional well-being may vary by cultural and social contexts. In Nepal, although left behind labor migrant caregivers perceive themselves as having better social class status, this does not serve as a protective factor and their families are not better adjusted emotionally. This study contributes to better understanding global migration families’ and children’s needs and impacts.

Authors

• Keng-Yen Huang, NYU School of Medicine
  Presenting Author

• Mahesh Prasad Joshi, HealthRight International
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hari Rana, HealthRight International
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sabrina Cheng, NYU School of Medicine, Department of Population Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christine Campo, NYU School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Theresa Castillo, HealthRight International
  Non-Presenting Author