Rural-to-urban Migration, Discrimination Experience, and Health in China: Evidence from Propensity Score Analysis

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 Dec 28

PMID 33370369

Citations 7

Authors

Zihong Deng

Yik Wa Law

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This research examines how rural-to-urban migration influences health through discrimination experience in China after considering migration selection bias. We conducted propensity score matching (PSM) to obtain a matched group of rural residents and rural-to-urban migrants with a similar probability of migrating from rural to urban areas using data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Regression and mediation analyses were performed after PSM. The results of regression analysis after PSM indicated that rural-to-urban migrants reported more discrimination experience than rural residents, and those of mediation analysis revealed discrimination experience to exert negative indirect effects on the associations between rural-to-urban migration and three measures of health: self-reported health, psychological distress, and physical discomfort. Sensitivity analysis using different calipers yielded similar results. Relevant policies and practices are required to respond to the unfair treatment and discrimination experienced by this migrant population.

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