Kammi K. Schmeer
Father absence due to migration and child illness in rural Mexico
The Ohio State University
little research date assessed importance presence fathers household protecting child health particularly developing country contexts although divorce nonmarital childbearing low many developing countries migration potentially important source father absence yet studied relation child health study utilizes prospective longitudinal data mexico assess whether father absence due migration associated increased child illness poor rural communities rural mexico provides setting child illness related serious health problems migration important source father absence state individuallevel fixed effects regression analyses used estimate relationship father absence due migration child illness controlling unobserved contextual individual characteristics statelevel models illustrate odds children ill 39 higher illness 51 higher diarrhea fathers absent compared fathers present household individuallevel fixed effects models support findings indicating context rural mexico fathers may important sources support ensuring healthy development young children