Study in South Africa examines link between internal migration and health — Daily Maverick
A study among young people from the rural Agincourt subdistrict in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, found that internal migration is associated with both higher employment among migrants and certain health risks. As Daily Maverick reports, migrants in urban areas were more likely to consume processed foods and had a higher likelihood of abdominal obesity.
Monitoring participants
Since 2018, researchers from the South African Medical Research Council, the Wits Agincourt unit, and Brown University have tracked about 3,000 people aged 18 to 40 from the rural Agincourt subdistrict in Bushbuckridge. They compared the health of participants who stayed at home with those who moved away, returned, or regularly travelled between rural areas and other places of residence.
Over five rounds at intervals of approximately one year, the team collected data on migration, education, employment, household characteristics, health, and use of medical services. During home visits, participants had their blood pressure, height, and weight measured, while HIV status was determined using dried blood spot samples.
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About one-third of the sample lived permanently outside the study area during the observation period, while another approximately one-third remained in the Agincourt subdistrict. The most common destination was Gauteng, located about 500 kilometres from Agincourt.
Employment and health risks
Migrants were generally younger, predominantly male, and had higher levels of education than those who stayed at home. They also had fewer chronic conditions and appeared more resilient according to a measure of psychological resilience. About two-thirds of migrants reported working at their destinations, while more than half of those who remained at home were unemployed and looking for work.
The prevalence of chronic conditions increased over the observation period among both migrants and those who did not move, but the increase was lower among migrants. At the same time, the researchers' latest findings indicate that migration to urban areas may raise blood pressure, especially among women. The authors stress the need to ensure continuity of healthcare for people living between several localities and to take these movements into account when planning housing, employment, and social protection.
