IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i8p4542-d790302.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Patterns of Living Lost? Measuring Community Participation and Other Influences on the Health of Older Migrants in China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiangjing Zhang

    (School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China)

  • Wusi Zhou

    (School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
    Center for Population and Development Policy Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Biya Jiang

    (School of Public Administration, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China)

Abstract

Community participation is a key element of active aging that promotes a new paradigm to enhance health and well-being as people age. However, social isolation is often a concern for older migrants. In this study, we aimed to investigate the current status of older migrants’ community participation and assess the main influences on three forms of welfare, development, and organizational participation. We adopted a quantitative research design for this study. A questionnaire survey was completed by 1216 older migrants in 4 cities; 1105 valid responses were received, representing a response rate of around 91%. The research findings showed that the current participation of older migrants in community activities was limited. By comparison, full self-care capability and non-chronic illness positively affected general and welfare participation. Educated at primary school had a negative influence on general, development, and organizational participation, whereas knowledge of the local language was a significant predictor of general and development participation. Urban inclusion and resident friendship had positive effects on general, welfare, and development participation. The study also revealed direct influences of socioeconomic characteristics on different types of participation. Moving forward, actions are needed to maximize older migrants’ participation in public events and community life.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiangjing Zhang & Wusi Zhou & Biya Jiang, 2022. "Patterns of Living Lost? Measuring Community Participation and Other Influences on the Health of Older Migrants in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4542-:d:790302
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4542/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4542/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. George S. Tolley, 1963. "Population Adjustment And Economic Activity: Three Studies," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(1), pages 85-97, January.
    2. Víctor Manuel Mendoza-Núñez & Fabiola González-Mantilla & Elsa Correa-Muñoz & Raquel Retana-Ugalde, 2017. "Relationship between Social Support Networks and Physical Functioning in Older Community-Dwelling Mexicans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-9, August.
    3. Jeffrey Burr & Jan Mutchler & Kerstin Gerst-Emerson, 2013. "Residential Segregation, Nativity Status, and Hispanic Living Arrangements in Later Life," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(1), pages 25-45, February.
    4. Pnina Dolberg & Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra & Liat Ayalon, 2016. "Migration and changes in loneliness over a 4-year period: the case of older former Soviet Union immigrants in Israel," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 287-297, December.
    5. Zhen Zhang & Jianxin Zhang, 2015. "Social Participation and Subjective Well-Being Among Retirees in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(1), pages 143-160, August.
    6. Ding, Ning & Berry, Helen L. & O'Brien, Léan V., 2015. "One-year reciprocal relationship between community participation and mental wellbeing in Australia: A panel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 246-254.
    7. Jolien Klok & Theo G. Tilburg & Bianca Suanet & Tineke Fokkema & Martijn Huisman, 2017. "National and transnational belonging among Turkish and Moroccan older migrants in the Netherlands: protective against loneliness?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 341-351, December.
    8. Lu, Yao & Qin, Lijian, 2014. "Healthy migrant and salmon bias hypotheses: A study of health and internal migration in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 41-48.
    9. Chang Fu & Zhen Li & Zongfu Mao, 2018. "Association between Social Activities and Cognitive Function among the Elderly in China: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, January.
    10. Jingyue Zhang & Nan Lu, 2019. "What Matters Most for Community Social Capital among Older Adults Living in Urban China: The Role of Health and Family Social Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Zhenhua Zheng & Hong Chen & Liu Yang, 2019. "Transfer of Promotion Effects on Elderly Health with Age: From Physical Environment to Interpersonal Environment and Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.
    12. Jinfeng Zhang, 2019. "How Community Participation Promotes the Relocation Adjustment of Older Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 637-655, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhongliang Bai & Zijing Wang & Tiantai Shao & Xia Qin & Zhi Hu, 2020. "Relationship between Individual Social Capital and Functional Ability among Older People in Anhui Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Lijian Wang & Liu Yang & Xiaodong Di & Xiuliang Dai, 2020. "Family Support, Multidimensional Health, and Living Satisfaction among the Elderly: A Case from Shaanxi Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    3. Nikoloski, Zlatko & Zhang, Anwen & Hopkin, Gareth & Mossialos, Elias, 2019. "Self-reported symptoms of depression among Chinese rural-to-urban migrants and left-behind family members," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100854, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Jinfeng Zhang, 2019. "How Community Participation Promotes the Relocation Adjustment of Older Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 637-655, June.
    5. Keiichi Shimatani & Mayuko T. Komada & Jun Sato, 2021. "Impact of the Changes in the Frequency of Social Participation on All-Cause Mortality in Japanese Older Adults: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Liu, Yiwei & Duan, Yanan & Xu, Ling, 2020. "Volunteer service and positive attitudes toward aging among Chinese older adults: The mediating role of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    7. Yanzhe Zhang & Bowen Zou & Huai Zhang & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Empirical Research on Male Preference in China: A Result of Gender Imbalance in the Seventh Population Census," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, 2016. "Antecedents of late life outcomes: the case of Israel," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 281-285, December.
    9. Zhenhua Zheng & Hong Chen & Junling Gao, 2021. "Age Differences in the Influence of Residential Environment and Behavior on the Life Quality of Older Adults: The Transfer from Physical-Environment to Social-Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-14, January.
    10. Nadya Y. Rivera Rivera & Laura McGuinn & Erika Osorio-Valencia & Sandra Martinez-Medina & Lourdes Schnaas & Rosalind J. Wright & Martha Maria Téllez-Rojo & Robert O. Wright & Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz & Ma, 2021. "Changes in Depressive Symptoms, Stress and Social Support in Mexican Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-11, August.
    11. Wubin Xie & John Sandberg & Elanah Uretsky & Yuantao Hao & Cheng Huang, 2022. "Parental Migration and Children’s Early Childhood Development: A Prospective Cohort Study of Chinese Children," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(1), pages 29-58, February.
    12. Nan Lu & Shicun Xu & Jingyue Zhang, 2021. "Community Social Capital, Family Social Capital, and Self-Rated Health among Older Rural Chinese Adults: Empirical Evidence from Rural Northeastern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    13. Yiwen Zhang & Haizhi Luo & Jiami Xie & Xiangzhao Meng & Changdong Ye, 2023. "The Influence and Prediction of Built Environment on the Subjective Well-Being of the Elderly Based on Random Forest: Evidence from Guangzhou, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Xiang Kang & Mingxi Du & Siqin Wang & Haifeng Du, 2022. "Exploring the Effect of Health on Migrants’ Social Integration in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-20, April.
    15. Nadiya UKRAYINCHUK & Carine DRAPIER, 2021. "Exhausted migrant effect : La santé des travailleurs immigrés en France," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 53, pages 69-100.
    16. Samuelson Appau & Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Russell Smyth & Quanda Zhang, 2022. "Social Capital Inequality and Subjective Wellbeing of Older Chinese," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 541-563, April.
    17. Yang Chen & Hongsheng Chen & Jinhua Liu, 2019. "Household Split, Income, and Migrants’ Life Satisfaction: Social Problems Caused by Rapid Urbanization in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-12, June.
    18. Landstedt, Evelina & Almquist, Ylva B. & Eriksson, Malin & Hammarström, Anne, 2016. "Disentangling the directions of associations between structural social capital and mental health: Longitudinal analyses of gender, civic engagement and depressive symptoms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 135-143.
    19. Miao, Jia & Wu, Xiaogang & Sun, Xiulin, 2019. "Neighborhood, social cohesion, and the Elderly's depression in Shanghai," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 134-143.
    20. Yidong Wu & Yuanyuan Zha & Mengyuan Ge & Hao Sun & Honghong Gui, 2022. "The Impact of Urban Health Care on Migrants’ Settlement Intention: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4542-:d:790302. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.