| Abstract [eng] |
In the doctoral dissertation, the associations between parental emigration and the physical and mental health of their children remaining in Lithuania are discussed. The impact of demographic, social, and economic factors is analysed, as well as the main differences between the information provided by the children themselves and their parents or caregivers. The dissertation provides a detailed overview of the methodology and results of systematic literature reviews, which not only identified certain links between parental emigration and the physical and mental health of children but also highlighted the lack of research on this topic in Lithuania and the European region. The text also describes the methodology and results of a cross-sectional study conducted in Lithuania, which showed that according to emigrant's children self-reported data, their physical and mental health was worse compared to their peers. Factors such as parental emigration, the child's gender (female), rural residency, school-related problems, household chores or responsibilities, hobbies, or sports activities were significant contributors to poorer physical and mental health. However, it was noted that children tended to rate their mental health much lower than their parents or caregivers. Recommendations are provided in the dissertation for measures that could help reduce the damage to children's health caused by parental emigration. |
