Poverty and Health: Children of Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers in Beijing, China
نویسندگان
چکیده
China’s domestic rural-to-urban migration has reached a stage where migration in family units is common, and basic data on the wellbeing of these families in urban settings are required for adequate social services. To obtain such data, we conducted a large-scale (N = 16,550) cross-sectional survey in Beijing of rural-to-urban migrant workers’ children attending the fourth through ninth grades, including subsamples classified as poor (18.3 % of the total) and non-poor (16.1 %). Those in the non-poor group were comparable in affluence to the host population average. We found that overall physical health was good, with no difference between the poor and non-poor groups. Poor children, however, had worse mental health, and were at higher risk of mental health problems because of lower self-esteem, less family support, and lower monthly household income than non-poor children. This is the first study to analyze data obtained from poor children who constitute nearly one-fifth of the domestic migrant population in China. In addition to pointing out the higher level of risk for this group’s mental health, our research suggests a need for countermeasures to improve self-esteem, maintain physical health, and emphasize family support. These results will help enable future hypothesis-verification mode survey research to illuminate general determinants and regulatory processes of health for migrant children, by providing large-scale survey data for a representative uppermiddle-income country for comparison with previously accumulated data from highincome countries.
منابع مشابه
U-Shaped Relationship between Years of Residence and Negative Mental Health Outcomes among Rural-to-Urban Children in Migrant Schools in Beijing, China: The Moderating Effects of Socioeconomic Factors
AIM This study aimed to test the relationship between length of residence and mental health in a school-based sample of migrant children who studied in migrant schools. METHODS A total of 7,296 rural-to-urban migrant children were recruited from 58 schools in Beijing and assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS A quadratic relationship was f...
متن کاملIntimate partner violence against married rural-to-urban migrant workers in eastern China: prevalence, patterns, and associated factors
BACKGROUND Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue among married rural-to-urban migrant workers, the largest group of internal migrants in China. This study aims to explore the prevalence, patterns and associated factors of intimate partner violence against married rural-to-urban migrant workers in eastern China. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zh...
متن کاملAddressing the Shortage of Health Professionals in Rural China: Issues and Progress; Comment on “Have Health Human Resources Become More Equal between Rural and Urban Areas after the New Reform?”
Maldistribution of health professionals between urban and rural areas has been a serious problem in China. Urban hospitals attract most of the health professionals with serious shortages in rural areas. To address this issue, a number of policies have been implemented by the government, such as free medical education in exchange for obligatory rural service.
متن کاملInfluence of health-related quality of life on health service utilization in Chinese rural-to-urban female migrant workers
BACKGROUND Rural-to-urban migrant workers have been increasing rapidly in China over recent decades. Health related quality of life (HRQOL) may affect health service utilization. There is a lack of data on HRQOL in relation to health service utilization in Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers. This study was aimed to explore the influence of HRQOL on health service utilization in Chinese rura...
متن کاملAcculturative Stress of Chinese Rural-To-Urban Migrant Workers: A Qualitative Study
BACKGROUND Global literature has suggested a negative impact of acculturative stress on both physical and mental health among international migrants. In China, approximately 20 percent of its population is rural-to-urban migrant workers and there are significant cultural differences between rural and urban societies, but no data are available regarding the acculturative stress of Chinese migran...
متن کامل