Migrant remittances and family ties: a case study in China

On the Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do Remittances, Human Capital Flight, and Brain Drain Matter?

To solve the active macroeconomic challenges of remittances, human capital flight, and brain drain facing Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from the perspective of costs and benefits tradeoffs for achieving Sustainable Development Goal eight (SDGs-8) targets by 2030 and the recipient communities’ wellbeing, this study investigates the sustainable economic growth in SSA: Do remittances, human capital flight, and brain drain matter? Autoregressive-Distributive Lag (ARDL) and the Error-Correction Mechanism (ECM) were used. Thus, this research is led by push–pull, altruism, and social network theories. The ARDL showed that remittances and trade positively affect economic growth. However, human capital flight, poverty, corruption, and inequality negatively affect economic growth. The co-efficient of ECTt−1 is ascertained to be negative (−0.266282) with a significant statistical value of 1% (i.e., 0.0123). Therefore, the annual requirement to restore equilibrium convergence is 26.62%. The study concludes that SSA may achieve their sustainable economic growth target, particularly by formalizing remittances and human capital flight and brain drain into the financial, economic system in SSA by 2030, since restoration to long-term convergence will take less than nine years. Enabling a labor market that offers decent work and wages, along with trade and remittance policies for sustainable growth, are recommended.

Risk factors associated with current intimate partner violence at individual and relationship levels: a cross-sectional study among married rural migrant women in Shanghai, China

OBJECTIVE

To identify individual and relationship risk factors associated with current intimate partner violence (IPV) against married rural migrant women in Shanghai, China.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Two subdistricts of one administrative district, Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 958 married rural migrant women of reproductive age were selected using a community-based two-stage cluster sampling method in April and May of 2010.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Data were collected using a modified questionnaire based on an instrument from the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% CI from a multivariable logistic regression model were estimated to identify individual and relationship risk factors associated with different types of violence in the past 12 months.

RESULTS

Women's low financial autonomy was associated with all types of violence (AORs ranged from 1.98 to 7.89, p<0.05). Quarrelling with husband was a very strong risk factor (AORs >6, p<0.05) for both emotional violence and any violence. Experience of job change in the past year (AOR=4.03, 95% CI 1.57 to 10.35) and history of husband being abused (AOR=4.67, 95% CI 2.17 to 7.69) were strongly associated with physical or sexual violence.

CONCLUSION

Women's low financial autonomy and unstable employment status at an individual level, quarrelling with husband and history of husband beaten by family members at a relationship level were identified as the most robust risk factors for IPV among married rural migrant women. Efforts to prevent IPV among this population should be made to involve both women and their husbands, with a focus on improving financial autonomy and employment status of women, promoting problem-solving and interaction skills of the couples and changing their knowledge and attitudes towards gender norms and IPV.

Defining migration and its health impact in China

The scale and rapid expansion of urbanization resulting from socio-economic transformation in China at the beginning of the 21st century has accelerated rural-urban migration. Public health concerns from this increasing internal population mobility are now receiving attention from researchers. The health problems from internal migration pose particular demands on healthcare systems and relate to its demographic characteristics, with many younger and older people being left behind in the rural countryside. A review of literature, census, policy reports, government documents and media was undertaken to look at the classification system and health characteristics of China's internal migrants. It suggests that public health bears the consequences of political and economic decisions made elsewhere in society.

Remittance Activity among Brazilians in the US and Canada

This comparative study uses data collected in 1990 and 1991 to examine the remittance behavior of Brazilians who had recently arrived in Canada and the United States. These data permit an examination of remittance activity among immigrants relatively soon after their arrival in a pair of host destinations. Prior to contrasting the remittance activity of these newly arrived immigrants, we first document the high degree of similarity between the two groups at their time of arrival; a point that becomes important when contrasting their divergent outcomes. Next, this study contributes to the research literature on micro-level remittance patterns and behaviors by focusing on three policy relevant dependant variables. More specifically, multivariate analyses are undertaken to examine those individual-level factors that best determine: (1) who remits, (2) how much they remit, and (3) when funds are remitted for productive purposes. Because the data analyzed were collected with the same instrument, results are then contrasted for the two destinations.One major finding to emerge from this cross-national study was that even immigrants who are extremely similar on all socio-economic measures at time of arrival may soon manifest divergent outcomes due to their distinctive country of destination experiences. Consequently, although some common predictors were found in both locales, there were far fewer than expected. For example, family obligation variables were usually significant in the predicted directions for the United States data, while this was almost never the case for the Canadian data. Furthermore, some variables often assumed to predict remittance behavior were insignificant in both locations. This study concludes by considering possible explanations for these results, as well as discussing the need for additional theoretical work and data collection in the area of immigrant remittance activity.

Tobacco smoking among migrant factory workers in Shenzhen, China

BACKGROUND

While several studies of smoking behaviors in rural-to-urban Chinese migrants exist, none to our knowledge have focused on factory workers, estimated to represent between 10% and 20% of China's total rural-to-urban migratory population. This paper assesses factors associated with smoking behavior among rural-to-urban migrant factory workers in Shenzhen, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of migrant workers from 44 randomly selected factories in Shenzhen, China. Participants were migrant factory workers aged 16-59 years and holding nonlocal household registration. The main outcome measures were demographic, migration-related, and behavioral factors associated with smoking status.

RESULTS

Four thousand and eighty-eight completed questionnaires were obtained (response rate 95.5%). Overall smoking prevalence (including occasional, daily, and heavy daily smoking) was 19.1%. The prevalence of daily smoking (including heavy daily smoking) was higher in men (27.3%) than women (0.7%). These rates are significantly lower than national smoking rates (59.5% in men, 3.7% in women) and rates found in a similar study. A high-risk group of men who smoke heavily and consume alcohol frequently was identified. Longer working hours and less rest were associated with higher rates of smoking. Frequent Internet use and lack of insurance were associated with lifetime smoking. Gender-adjusted models showed that poorer mental health and an accumulated working time in Shenzhen of 2-3 years increased female workers' likelihood of smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

Migrant factory workers in Shenzhen had lower rates of smoking than other population groups in China. The identification of risk factors for heavy smoking may help to effectively target health promotion interventions.

Migration, Remittances, and Household Strategies

In this review, I examine the meaning, place, and role of remittances for migrants (movers) and for their sending households and communities. I define remittances as more than economic and explore the cultural and social value of remittances as well as the ways in which transnational space is created as movers and nonmovers interact. Although remittances are often critical to the well-being and survival of migrant sending households, this review also defines the costs that movers face as they remit and the positive as well as negative impacts remittances can hold for sending households.

Return migration and the health of older aged parents: evidence from rural Thailand

OBJECTIVE

To examine the extent to which an association exists between health of older parents and return migration of children in rural Thailand.

METHOD

Data come from the 2006 Migration Impact Survey specifically designed to obtain information on the impact of migration on older adults in rural areas. Associations are examined from both the perspectives of parents (N = 883) and migrating children (N = 2,150) using equations that adjust for demographic characteristics of parents and children and factors that may indicate unmet support needs.

RESULTS

A robust association with poor health promoting migration returns from both parent and child perspective exists and remains even with controls that might attenuate the relationship.

DISCUSSION

Although media discussions have pointed out dangers of out-migration for older adults, little systematic evidence exists. This study supports the viewpoint that accommodations for older adults can be made despite social changes promoting out-migration and demographic aging of the population.

How left behind are rural parents of migrant children? Evidence from Thailand

The consequences of adult children's migration from rural areas for older parents who remain behind are keenly debated. While the mass media and international advocacy organisations favour an ‘alarmist’ view of desertion, the academic literature makes more sanguine assessments using the ‘household strategy’ and ‘modified extended family’ perspectives. We examine the relationship between the migration of adult children and various dimensions of older parents' wellbeing in Thailand using evidence from a survey that focused on the issues. The results provide little support for the alarmist view, but instead suggest that parents and adult children adapt to the social and economic changes associated with development in ways not necessarily detrimental to intergenerational relations. The migration of children, especially to urban areas, often benefits parents' material support while the recent spread of cell phones has radically increased their ability to maintain social contact. Nevertheless, changing living arrangements through increased migration and the smaller family sizes of the youngest age groups of older people pose serious challenges for aspects of filial support, especially at advanced ages when chronic illness and frailty require long-term personal care. Dealing with this emerging situation in a context of social, economic and technological change is among the most critical issues facing those concerned with the implications of rapid population ageing in Thailand and elsewhere.

Rural-urban migration and depression in ageing family members left behind

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that rural-urban migration will have adverse consequences for older parents left behind.

AIMS

To describe correlates of outmigration and to estimate any association between outmigration of children and depression in rural-dwelling older parents.

METHOD

Population-based survey of 1147 parents aged 60 and over in rural Thailand. We randomly oversampled parents living without children. We defined an outmigrant child as living outside their parent's district, and measured depression as a continuous outcome with a Thai version of the EURO-D.

RESULTS

Outmigration of all children, compared with outmigration of some or no children, was independently associated with less depression in parents. This association remained after taking account of social support, parent characteristics, health and wealth. Parents with all children outmigrated received more economic remittances and they perceived support to be as good as that of those with children close by.

CONCLUSIONS

Outmigration of children was not associated with greater depression in older parents and, after taking account of a range of possible covariables, was actually associated with less parental depression. This could be explained by pre-existing advantages in families sending more migrants and by the economic benefits of migration.

Barriers to accessing TB diagnosis for rural-to-urban migrants with chronic cough in Chongqing, China: a mixed methods study

Background

China is facing a significant tuberculosis epidemic among rural-to-urban migrants, which poses a threat to TB control. This study aimed to understand the health seeking behaviour of and health systems responses to migrants and permanent urban residents suffering from chronic cough, in order to identify the factors influencing delays for both groups in receiving a TB diagnosis in urban China.

Methods

Combining a prospective cohort study of adult suspect TB patients and a qualitative study, the Piot model was used to analyze the health seeking behaviour of TB suspects among migrants and permanent urban residents, the factors influencing their decision and the responses by general health providers. Methods included a patient survey, focus group discussions with migrants in the general population, qualitative interviews with migrant and permanent resident TB suspects and TB patients as well as key stakeholders related to TB control and the management of migrants.

Results

Sixty eight percent of migrants delayed for more than two weeks before seeking care for symptoms suggestive of TB, compared to 54% of residents (p < 0.01). When they first decided to seek professional care, migrants were 1.5 times more likely than residents to use less expensive, community-level health services. Only 5% were ultimately referred to a TB dispensary. Major reasons for both patient and provider delay included lack of knowledge and mistrust of the TB control programme, lack of knowledge about TB (patients), and profit-seeking behaviour (providers). In the follow up survey, 61% of the migrants and 41% of the residents who still had symptoms gave up continuing to seek professional care, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Rural-to-urban migrants are more likely than permanent residents to delay in seeking care for symptoms suggestive of TB in urban Chongqing. 'Patient-' and 'provider-' related factors interact to pose barriers to TB diagnosis for migrants, including: low awareness, and poor knowledge among both the general public and TB suspects about TB as a disease and about the TB control programme; low financial capacity to pay for care and diagnostic tests; and inadequate use of diagnostic tests and referral to TB dispensaries by general health providers.