The Effect of Migration on Health

Abstract

Several studies have been carried out to understand reasons for migration in developing countries; yet little has been done to understand health consequences of migration. Using the data from the 2000- and 2001-rounds of the Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance Survey (KDSS) of the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, this paper explores whether migration has any effect on the health of migrants. The analysis made use of the data obtained from interviews of
24,412 individuals aged 15 and older, both male and female migrants and non-migrants. In order to assess the relation between migration and health, the analysis constructed two models; the first model focused on migration and health status measured in terms of self-reported illness over the period of twelve months prior to the interview, the second
model focused on migration and health risk behavior measured in terms of cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. Logistic regression analyses, taking migration as the main predictor and socio-economic, demographic and environmental factors as control variables, reveal that migration seems not to have significant relation with health, but it shows significant relation with health risk behavior, i.e. smoking cigarette and drinking
alcohol. Overall, the results presented in this paper suggest that appropriate intervention aimed at reducing health risk behavior among migrants is desirable.