Impact of children's migration on health and health care-seeking behavior of elderly left behind

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many countries are facing the burden of accelerated population aging and a lack of institutional support to meet the needs of older individuals. In developing countries, adult children are primarily responsible for the care of their elderly parents. However, out-migration of adult children is common in these countries. This study aims to explore the impact of migration on the health of the elderly left behind and their health care-seeking behavior.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This paper uses data from a national survey of older persons in Thailand conducted in 2007. The analysis is confined to those who were aged 60 years or above and who had at least one child (biological or step/adopted) (n = 28,677). Logistic regression was used to assess the net effect of migration of adult children on the health of the elderly left behind and their health care-seeking behavior, after controlling for other socio-demographic and economic variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than two-thirds of the elderly (67%) had at least one migrant child. About three-fifths (58%) reported that they had at least one symptom of poor mental health. Almost three in five elderly (56%) rated their health as poor, and 44% had experienced at least one chronic disease. About two-thirds of the elderly (65%) got sick during the 5 years preceding the survey. An overwhelming majority of elderly (88%) who got sick during the five years preceding the survey had sought treatment for their last illness.</p> <p>After controlling for socio-demographic and economic variables, our study found that those elderly who had a migrant child were more likely (OR = 1.10; 95% CI 1.05-1.17) to have symptoms of poor mental health than those whose children had not migrated. However, no significant association was observed among physical health, such as experience of chronic disease, perceived poor health, and illness of the elderly left behind. Interestingly, however, out-migration of adult children was independently associated with higher utilization of health services. The elderly who had migrant children were more likely (odds ratio = 1.22, CI 1.11-1.33) than those whose children had not migrated to seek treatment for their most recent illness, after controlling for socio-demographic and economic variables.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study provides novel evidence on an issue of special importance to countries affected by heavy out-migration of adult children, an issue that has received little attention. Out-migration of adult children was highly associated with poor mental health but it was not associated with the physical health of the elderly left behind. Out-migration of children was also highly associated with higher utilization of health facilities by the elderly. Thus, in order to decrease morbidity among the elderly as well as to maintain and enhance the well-being of families, programs should focus on alleviating the symptoms of poor mental health among the elderly left behind and aim to reduce the differences in utilization of health care-seeking behavior among elderly with children present in the community and elderly left behind.</p

Thai elderly who do not coreside with their children

In this paper, data from a nationally representative survey of elderly Thais living in private households are analyzed. The analysis focuses on situations of the 756 elderly who do not coreside with an adult child. Only a minority of those elderly who do not coreside with an adult child were childless. The majority have at least one noncoresident child with whom they could potentially live. Daily contact with children for elderly who live alone was not significantly different from that of elderly who live with their children, suggesting that households that are classified as being separate may in fact function as single households or that at least one non-coresident child may live in very close proximity to the elderly person. Differences between urban and rural elderly in terms of type of support received from non-coresident children as well as likelihood of living near a non-coresident child are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42996/1/10823_2004_Article_BF00972063.pd

The BNO-LNGS joint measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate in 71Ga

We describe a cooperative measurement of the capture rate of solar neutrinos by the reaction 71Ga(\nu_e,e^-)71Ge. Extractions were made from a portion of the gallium target in the Russian-American Gallium Experiment SAGE and the extraction samples were transported to the Gran Sasso laboratory for synthesis and counting at the Gallium Neutrino Observatory GNO. Six extractions of this type were made and the resultant solar neutrino capture rate was 64 ^{+24}_{-22} SNU, which agrees well with the overall result of the gallium experiments. The major purpose of this experiment was to make it possible for SAGE to continue their regular schedule of monthly solar neutrino extractions without interruption while a separate experiment was underway to measure the response of 71Ga to neutrinos from an 37Ar source. As side benefits, this experiment proved the feasibility of long-distance sample transport in ultralow background radiochemical experiments and familiarized each group with the methods and techniques of the other.Comment: 7 pages, no figures; minor additions in version

Patterns of Intergenerational Transfers in Southeast Asia

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73942/1/j.1741-3737.2002.00627.x.pd

Measurement of the Solar Neutrino Capture Rate by the Russian-American Gallium Solar Neutrino Experiment During One Half of the 22-Year Cycle of Solar Activity

We present the results of measurements of the solar neutrino capture rate in gallium metal by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment SAGE during slightly more than half of a 22-year cycle of solar activity. Combined analysis of the data of 92 runs during the 12-year period January 1990 through December 2001 gives a capture rate of solar neutrinos with energy more than 233 keV of 70.8 +5.3/-5.2 (stat.) +3.7/-3.2 (syst.) SNU. This represents only slightly more than half of the predicted standard solar model rate of 128 SNU. We give the results of new runs beginning in April 1998 and the results of combined analysis of all runs since 1990 during yearly, monthly, and bimonthly periods. Using a simple analysis of the SAGE results combined with those from all other solar neutrino experiments, we estimate the electron neutrino pp flux that reaches the Earth to be (4.6 +/- 1.1) E10/(cm^2-s). Assuming that neutrinos oscillate to active flavors the pp neutrino flux emitted in the solar fusion reaction is approximately (7.7 +/- 1.8) E10/(cm^2-s), in agreement with the standard solar model calculation of (5.95 +/- 0.06) E10/(cm^2-s).Comment: English translation of article submitted to Russian journal Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. (JETP); 12 pages, 5 figures. V2: Added winter-summer difference and 2 reference

Migrant remittances and the web of family obligations: Ongoing support among spatially extended kin in North-east Thailand, 1984–94

Exchanges of money, goods, and assistance among family/kin members are influenced by the intertwined lives of individuals and their family/kin. As people pass through the young adulthood years, acquiring obligations as spouses and parents, and migrating in search of economic opportunities, tensions can arise over existing obligations. Using rich longitudinal data from Northeast Thailand, we examined the role of family networks (origin and destination) on migrants’ exchanges with family/kin. Our approach overcame many shortcomings of earlier studies, allowing us to 'see' the family social network arrayed in a broader network. We show that intra-family exchanges are influenced by marital status, the presence of children, having parents in the origin household, and having siblings depart from it. The results are stable across sensitivity tests that systematically include or exclude various familial links. And reports provided by origin households on migrant remittances are consistent with reports from migrants themselves

Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate with gallium metal

The solar neutrino capture rate measured by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment (SAGE) on metallic gallium during the period January 1990 through December 1997 is 67.2 (+7.2-7.0) (+3.5-3.0) SNU, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. This represents only about half of the predicted Standard Solar Model rate of 129 SNU. All the experimental procedures, including extraction of germanium from gallium, counting of 71Ge, and data analysis are discussed in detail.Comment: 34 pages including 14 figures, Revtex, slightly shortene

Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate by SAGE and implications for neutrino oscillations in vacuum

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