Effect of migratory and seasonal farmworks on growth and psychomotor development of aged 0-5 years children

Child health has long been known to be related to physical, socio-cultural, economic and environmental factors. Migratory farmworkers remain marginalized and among the most socially, economically, and medically vulnerable population. In this cross-sectional survey, to investigate the role of migratory farmworks on child’s growth and psychomotor development, we studied 174 children aged 0-5 years reared in this vulnerable families compared with the sample of non - migratory farmworkers’ children (n=174). The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, anthropometry and Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory. There was no significant difference in view of age and sex distribution between two groups (p>0.05). It was found that the prevalance of stunted and psychomotor development delay was higher for children in migratory farmworkers family care than comparison group (respectively; stunted children 43.1%, 21.3 %; development delay 22.1%, 14.9%). Migratory and seasonal working situation had a risk for stunted (OR = 2.6, 95 per cent CI = 1.4-4.7; p=0.001) and maternal education (OR = 1.2, 95 per cent CI = 1.1-1.3; p=0.020) after the all mixing factors including economic condition, number of children, household size and maternal age was controlled. In the primary health care centers, during the programme of the monitoring growth and developmental status of children, following the children in terms of  working situation, diagnosis and treatment will be positive effect on child health.  Key words: Migratory and Seasonal Farmworkers’s children, growth, development