Since the reform and opening up in 1978, China has begun a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Along with an increasing number of rural people migrating to urban area for jobs, there are a considerable number of elderly parents left behind in the rural area. The impact of migration of the adult children on the health of their left-behind parents is ambiguous. On the one hand, the additional income from the children's jobs can allow their parents to afford better health care and nutrition; on the other hand, the migration necessarily reduces the amount of time the children have to take care of their parents. This paper uses the Rural Urban Migration in China data to empirically investigate the effect of adult children's migration on the health of the left-behind parents. Based on a linear probability model with instrumental variable correction, we find that having one additional adult child migrated to an urban area increases the probability of the left-behind elderly parents being in poor health condition by about 8%. Furthermore, parents having only one child, from low-income households, or aged above 60 years are affected more. Our results point out that the parents with only one child is the most vulnerable group and highlight the importance of establishing a formal care system for the rural elderly to complement the traditional family care in rural China.

Why do some families survive stressful situations while others fall apart? Can a family’s beliefs and values be used as a predictor of vulnerability to stress? And most importantly, can family stress be prevented? The Third Edition of Family Stress Management continues its original commitment to recognize both the external and internal contexts in which distressed families find themselves. With its hallmark Contextual Model of Family Stress (CMFS), the Third Edition provides practitioners and researchers with a useful framework to understand and help distressed individuals, couples, and families. The example of a universal stressor—a death in the family—highlights cultural differences in ways of coping. Throughout, there is new emphasis on diversity and the nuances of family stress management—such as ambiguous loss—plus new discussions on family resilience and community as resources for support.

The authors examine the impact of migration on educational attainment in rural Mexico. Using historical migration rates by state to instrument for current migration, they find evidence of a significant negative effect of migration on schooling attendance and attainment of 12 to 18 year-old boys and 16 to 18 year-old girls. IV-Censored Ordered Probit results show that living in a migrant household lowers the chances of boys completing junior high school and of boys and girls completing high school. The negative effect of migration on schooling is somewhat mitigated for younger girls with low educated mothers, which is consistent with remittances relaxing credit constraints on education investment for the very poor. However, for the majority of rural Mexican children, family migration depresses educational attainment. Comparison of the marginal effects of migration on school attendance and on participation in other activities shows that the observed decrease in schooling of 16 to 18 year-olds is accounted for by the current migration of boys and increased housework for girls.

This ground breaking work is the result of research by Plan International China and the China Agricultural University on children who have been left behind in their rural villages when their parents migrate to cities in search of work.

China's rapid development and urbanization have induced large numbers of rural residents to migrate from their homes in the countryside to urban areas in search of higher wages. It is estimated that there are more than 60 million "left-behind children" (LBC) remaining in the countryside after their parents migrate, typically living with surrogate caregivers. Extensive research has focused on the impact of parental out-migration on children's mental health, but less attention has been paid to the effects of parental return-migration. The present paper examines the changes in mental health before and after the parents of fourth and fifth grade students out-migrate or return-migrate. We draw on a panel dataset collected by the authors of more than 19000 students from 252 rural primary schools in northwestern China. Using DID and propensity score matching approaches, our results indicate that parental out-migration has a significant negative impact on the mental health of LBC, as they tend to exhibit higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem. However, we find that parental return-migration has no significant effect on the mental health of LBC.

Rachel Murphy explores Chinese children's experience of having migrant parents and the impact this has on family relationships in China.

ŠThis is an extremely impressive volume which guides readers into thinking about migration in new ways. In its various chapters, international experts examine contemporary migration issues through a multitude of lenses ranging from child labor, human t

In the broadest sense, The Well-Being of the Elderly in Asia is a study of social change and of anticipating future social change. It examines the effects on the current and future elderly of the rapid demographic transition that has occurred over much of Asia, accompanied in many countries by equally dramatic social and economic transformations. Policymakers in Asia have been aware of these trends and their potentially deleterious consequences for a decade or more, and have sought to fashion appropriate policies and programs that anticipate and mitigate their effects. Accordingly, any study of the sociodemographic trends and their impact must be examined in the light of policies put in place and under development.

In 2020 over 1 billion of the world’s population were over the age of 60 years old, and it is expected to double by 2050 according to WHO. Due to the growing population of older adults, there is a focus on healthy aging that will benefit the individuals and the wider communities as older adults will be able to support family members and partake in paid or voluntary work for a longer period of time. Currently a large number of older adults are unable to work, increasing the likelihood of economic instability with fewer streams of income. Economic instability has been proven to have health impacts including declining mental wellbeing, malnutrition, and the inability to afford prescribed medications. Social isolation proves to be another important factor in the overall health of older adults. The CDC reports that poor social interactions have been linked to a higher risk of developing multiple serious medical conditions.

Migration has played a significant role throughout Chinese history. Over the past few decades, the movements of the Chinese people, representing as they do a huge proportion of the world population, have attracted increasing attention both domestically and globally. Chinese migration is often a particularly complex phenomenon. On one hand, its characteristics have been shaped in many ways by numerous social, political and economic changes throughout the world, while, on the other, it has profound influences on the host countries and on China itself. Detailed investigation of the changing profiles of Chinese migrants, the reasons behind their movements, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use to cope with these problems will have significant implications for future policy making and practice. Chinese Migration and Families-At-Risk contributes to a better understanding of the various facets of Chinese migration. Its chapters address different concerns related to Chinese migration in the modern world, including the patterns and influences of internal migration within China; the issues related to migration from mainland China to Hong Kong, a special administrative region in China; and the history, features, and impact of Chinese migration to Western countries. Grounded in recent and contemporary research and scholarly inquiry, Chinese Migration and Families-At-Risk provides a comprehensive and critical review of the essential issues related to Chinese migrant families, and is undoubtedly a vital book for all who want to have a deeper understanding of the trends and current situation of Chinese migration.