Long-term effects of various experiences of parental migration on adult health: A nationwide survey in China

Abstract

Background: Despite numerous literature studies on the short-term effects of diverse experiences of being left-behind, migrant, or both on children, the research on their long-term effects remains inadequate. The purpose of current study is to explore the long-term impact of being left-behind, migrant or experiencing both during childhood on health in adulthood. Simultaneously, we investigate the impact of psychological resilience on adults in the presence of diverse experiences of parental migration. Method: A total of 2,371 samples were selected from 28 provinces in China, consisting of 656 participants who had been left behind but never migrated (PLBNM), 205 participants who had migrated but never been left behind (PMNLB), 265 participants who had both been left behind and migrated (PLBM), and 1,245 participants who had no left-behind/migrant experiences (NLBM). The mental health, health condition, and psychological resilience were measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Self-Rated Health, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), respectively. Results: The results of the regression model indicated that PLBNM ( OR = 2.10, 95% CI [1.59, 2.77], p < .001), PMNLB (1.93, [1.27, 2.94], p < .01), and PLBM (2.01, [1.37, 2.94], p < .001) displayed lower self-rated health compared to NLBM. However, only PLBNM (1.29, [1.05, 1.58], p < .05) reported higher mental health problems compared to NLBM. Our results also showed a strong association between psychological resilience and adults’ lower self-rated health (0.72, [0.64, 0.82], p < .001). Conclusion: The negative long-term impact of various experiences regarding being left-behind, migrant, or both, on adult’s mental health and self-rated health were more pronounced. The Chinese government ought to create unique policy frameworks that offer assistance to those adults.