Past studies have found that orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa are at increased risk of moving household and of school drop-out. However, the relationship between child migration and school enrolment has not been established. We conducted secondary analysis of prospective data, collected from 2002–2006, to investigate whether children who recently migrated were at increased risk of dropping out of school. We also investigated associations between orphanhood, type of caregiver and school drop-out, and whether any such associations are explained by an increased risk of migration among affected children.
The questions:
•Are children who move household at increased risk of dropping out of school?
• Does moving household mediate the relationship between orphan hood and school drop-out?
The research:
• 2002–2006: Enrolled and followed up 645 children aged 6–18 as part of a cohort study.
• Included orphaned and non-orphaned children.
• Collected data on type of caregiver, school drop-out and migration.
• All analyses control for age, gender, socio-economic status, and community type.