Association of socioeconomic and lifestyle behavioral factors with obesity and thinness among migrant peasant workers’ children, by comparison with rural and urban children in China

Background: Since 1980s migrant peasant workers in China have migrated from rural areas to urban areas to seek for employment opportunities. More and more of migrant peasant workers’ children accompanied their parents to the cities and became another special population in modern Chinese urban areas. This study aimed to discuss the association between socioeconomic and lifestyle behavioral factors and obesity or thinness,among rural, migrant peasant workers’ and urban children, with a special focus on migrant peasant workers’ children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 2457 children and adolescents aged 7-12 years old, including 914 migrant peasant workers’ subjects, 795 subjects of Shanghai citizens and 748 subjects from immigrant original rural areas (Anhui province). Physique measurements and self-reported information on socioeconomic factors, lifestyle habits were collected by the questionnaire. SPSS18.0 was used in the analysis. Results: This study indicated that the average value of BMI among migrant peasant workers’ children, was higher than that of rural children, but lower than that of children of citizens of Shanghai City, except for 7 to 9-year-old girls. Thinness was highly prevalent among rural children, while overweight or obesity was largely observed among children of citizens of Shanghai City. Moreover, the results showed that the prevalence of overweight or obesity among migrant peasant workers’ children was much higher than that of rural children. It was found that overweight or obese children were more likely to have parents with higher education levels, have higher family monthly income, and have less physical education class per week. Thin children were more likely to have parents with lower education levels, have lower family monthly income, and have less physical education class per week. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the prevalences of overweight or obesity among migrant peasant workers’ and Shanghai Citizens’ children were relatively high, while there was a high prevalence of thinness among rural children. Socioeconomic and lifestyle behavioral factors were the risk factors related to body shape among migrant peasant workers’ children.