IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v177y2025ics0190740925003202.html

Parental absence, child victimization and health-related outcomes in rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Ren, Yangling
  • Yang, Peirong
  • Liu, Yixiao
  • Chen, Gang

Abstract

Parental absence is a potential contributor to child victimization and its negative impacts on health and well-being, constituting a pressing public issue. However, the associations and mechanisms linking parental absence, child victimization, and health outcomes remain unclear, particularly for left-behind children in rural China. This study aims to explore the associations between parental absence and child health-related outcomes, including health services utilization (visit a doctor), health-related quality of life (measured by the Child Health Utility 9D [CHU9D] and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 [PedsQL]), and subjective well-being (WHO-5), with a focus on the mediating role of child victimization. Self-reported data were collected from 1912 school-aged children (Mage = 12.23, 56 % boys) in western China. Logistic and linear regression models were employed to analyze the relationships among parental absence, child bullying/maltreatment victimization, and health-related outcomes. An instrumental variable approach was applied to assess the robustness of the associations. This study found that parental absence was associated with increased probabilities and frequencies of child victimization. It was also significantly associated with a higher likelihood of medical visits and reduced CHU9D, PedsQL, and WHO-5 scores. Victimization probability partially mediated the associations, while victimization frequency further amplified the impacts on medical visits. In addition, children with siblings experienced more pronounced negative effects on health-related outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of addressing individual and family factors in child health-related outcomes and suggest policy recommendations to support children facing adversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ren, Yangling & Yang, Peirong & Liu, Yixiao & Chen, Gang, 2025. "Parental absence, child victimization and health-related outcomes in rural China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:177:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925003202
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108437
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740925003202
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108437?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blanchflower, David G. & Bryson, Alex, 2024. "The adult consequences of being bullied in childhood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 345(C).
    2. Zhang, Hongliang & Behrman, Jere R. & Fan, C. Simon & Wei, Xiangdong & Zhang, Junsen, 2014. "Does parental absence reduce cognitive achievements? Evidence from rural China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 181-195.
    3. Tang, Wanjie & Dai, Qian & Wang, Gang & Hu, Tao & Xu, Wenjian, 2020. "Impact of parental absence on insomnia and nightmares in Chinese left-behind adolescents: A structural equation modeling analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    4. Morrongiello, Barbara & Schmidt, Sarah & Schell, Stacy L., 2010. "Sibling supervision and young children's risk of injury: A comparison of mothers' and older siblings' reactions to risk taking by a younger child in the family," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(5), pages 958-965, September.
    5. Yoon, Dalhee & Shipe, Stacey L. & Park, Jiho & Yoon, Miyoung, 2021. "Bullying patterns and their associations with child maltreatment and adolescent psychosocial problems," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    6. Francisca M. Antman, 2011. "International Migration and Gender Discrimination among Children Left Behind," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(3), pages 645-649, May.
    7. Lijun Chen & Di Qi & Dali Yang, 2020. "The Urbanization Paradox: Parental Absence and Child Development in China - an Empirical Analysis Based on the China Family Panel Studies Survey," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(2), pages 593-608, April.
    8. Zhen Zeng & Yu Xie, 2014. "The Effects of Grandparents on Children’s Schooling: Evidence From Rural China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 599-617, April.
    9. Jenna Nobles, 2013. "Migration and Father Absence: Shifting Family Structure in Mexico," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1303-1314, August.
    10. Turner, Michael G. & Exum, M. Lyn & Brame, Robert & Holt, Thomas J., 2013. "Bullying victimization and adolescent mental health: General and typological effects across sex," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 53-59.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Ran & Hannum, Emily, 2023. "Parental absence and student academic performance in cross-national perspective: Heterogeneous forms of family separation and the buffering possibilities of grandparents," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    2. Zai Liang & Feinuo Sun, 2020. "The lasting impact of parental migration on children's education and health outcomes: The case of China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(9), pages 217-244.
    3. Sylvie Démurger & Hui Xu, 2015. "Left-behind children and return migration in China," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Tien Manh Vu, 2023. "Temporary migrants and gender housework division among left‐behind household members," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1834-1854, August.
    5. Xiaoou Man & Jiatong Liu & Zengxin Xue, 2022. "Effects of Bullying Forms on Adolescent Mental Health and Protective Factors: A Global Cross-Regional Research Based on 65 Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-17, February.
    6. Yu, Yanying & Chen, Kevin & Liu, Chengfang & Li, Shaoping, 2021. "Parental Migration and Children’s Dietary Diversity: Evidence from Rural China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315017, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Zhao, Chunkai & Wang, Runtao & Chen, Boou & Li, Jingrong, 2025. "Hidden costs of separation: Exploring the effect of left-behind experiences on financial market participation in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    8. Deng, Lanfang & Tong, Tingting, 2020. "Parenting style and the development of noncognitive ability in children," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    9. Lidan Lyu & Yu Chen, 2019. "Parental migration and young migrants’ wages in urban China: An exploratory analysis," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(10), pages 1968-1987, August.
    10. Chong Lu, 2022. "The effect of migration on rural residents’ intergenerational subjective social status mobility in China," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 3279-3308, October.
    11. Youqin Huang & Zai Liang & Qian Song & Ran Tao, 2020. "Family Arrangements and Children's Education Among Migrants: A Case Study of China," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 484-504, May.
    12. LaFave, Daniel & Thomas, Duncan, 2017. "Extended families and child well-being," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 52-65.
    13. Chen, Xiaoxiao & Shao, Jingjin & Pu, Xin & Wang, Zhi, 2023. "Childhood maltreatment and adolescents’ peer victimization: The effect of security, school connectedness and gender," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    14. Jia Wu & Junsen Zhang, 2017. "The Effect of Parental Absence on Child Development in Rural China," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 12(1), pages 117-134, January.
    15. Alina Cosma & Sophie D. Walsh & Kayleigh L. Chester & Mary Callaghan & Michal Molcho & Wendy Craig & William Pickett, 2020. "Bullying victimization: time trends and the overlap between traditional and cyberbullying across countries in Europe and North America," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(1), pages 75-85, January.
    16. Joseph Ferrie & Catherine Massey & Jonathan Rothbaum, 2016. "Do Grandparents and Great-Grandparents Matter? Multigenerational Mobility in the US, 1910-2013," NBER Working Papers 22635, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Lijun Chen & Di Qi & Dali Yang, 2020. "The Urbanization Paradox: Parental Absence and Child Development in China - an Empirical Analysis Based on the China Family Panel Studies Survey," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(2), pages 593-608, April.
    18. Björn NILSSON, 2019. "Education and migration: insights for policymakers," Working Paper 23ca9c54-061a-4d60-967c-f, Agence française de développement.
    19. Weijuan Wu & Haokai Liao & Xuelin Yang, 2024. "Education disrupts the intergenerational transmission of health disadvantage across three generations in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, June.
    20. Kieron Barclay & Torkild Lyngstad & Dalton Conley, 2018. "The Production of Inequalities within Families and Across Generations: The Intergenerational Effects of Birth Order and Family Size on Educational Attainment," NBER Working Papers 24530, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:177:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925003202. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.