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The price of mobility: How migration shapes health outcomes in China

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Qianqian
  • Zhou, Jianjun
  • Xu, Zhaopeng
  • Jiang, Feng
  • Zhang, Lufa

Abstract

With the rapid pace of economic development, China has witnessed unprecedented population migration, which exerts a profound influence on migrants' health outcomes. This study used data from the 2023 Yangtze River Delta Health and Life Satisfaction Survey to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of internal migration on health outcomes. The findings revealed that migration significantly worsened the migrants’ health, and that the negative effects were more pronounced for interprovincial migration than for intraprovincial migration. Moreover, the study also found that greater social support could effectively buffer the negative health effects of migration, while the overall evaluation of the local healthcare services mediated this impact. These findings underscored the need for policymakers to reduce regional barriers, strengthen community cohesion, extend public services and social security to migrants, and promote their integration into residential communities through institutional reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Qianqian & Zhou, Jianjun & Xu, Zhaopeng & Jiang, Feng & Zhang, Lufa, 2025. "The price of mobility: How migration shapes health outcomes in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 386(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:386:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625009918
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118660
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