How does Social Integration Affect the Health of the Older Floating Population in China: New Changes in the Structure of the Older Floating Population in China

Abstract

Background With the gradual liberalization of China's household registration system and the increasing rate of urbanization, the structure of its floating population has undergone significant changes. The once dominant group of migrant workers has given way to a new group of highly educated talents accompanying the older individuals, while the older floating population, including those accompanying the older people, often suffers from insufficient social integration, resulting in the migration attrition effect. Methods Based on CMDS2017 data, this paper explores the relationship between social integration and the physical and mental health of the older floating population through the entropy method and two-stage least squares. Results We have uncovered a significant positive association between the degree of social integration of China's older floating population and their physical and mental health status. Moreover, our analysis reveals that participation in health education and willingness to stay serve as mediating factors in the process by which social integration affects the physical and mental health of this population. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the impact of social integration on health status is more pronounced among older migrants with labor migration experience, rural household registration, low educational attainment, and poor family economic status. Conclusion We recommend that the Chinese government take proactive measures to promote the social integration of the older floating population in areas experiencing net population inflow, through community mobilization and activities, and by raising awareness of the older floating population among society at large. Ultimately, to mitigate social inequality and the urban-rural gap, the household registration system should be gradually relaxed.