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Association between migration and physical activity of school-age children left behind in rural Mexico

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

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.

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Acknowledgments

The authors of this study wish to express their gratitude to Claidé Merlos, MPH, who conducted the fieldwork for this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition and Health Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, México

    Gabriela Palos-Lucio, Mario Flores, Marta Rivera-Pasquel, Eric Monterrubio, Santiago Henao & Nayeli Macias

  2. Health Systems Research Center, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, México

    V. Nelly Salgado-de-Snyder

Authors
  1. Gabriela Palos-Lucio
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  2. Mario Flores
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  3. Marta Rivera-Pasquel
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  4. V. Nelly Salgado-de-Snyder
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  5. Eric Monterrubio
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  6. Santiago Henao
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  7. Nayeli Macias
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Correspondence to Nayeli Macias.

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Palos-Lucio, G., Flores, M., Rivera-Pasquel, M. et al. Association between migration and physical activity of school-age children left behind in rural Mexico. Int J Public Health 60, 49–58 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0630-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0630-2

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