Citation

Chan KL, Lo R. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(3): e16030435.

Affiliation

Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. rubylo@spr.com.hk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16030435

PMID

30717344

Abstract

Children in migrant families often encounter difficulties that have great impacts on their health. However, there is a lack of research to examine generational status and child health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study compared the HRQoL of children, aged 3 to 19 years, born in Hong Kong to mainland parents with second- and third-or-higher-generation children; and explores the mediating effects of residential instability and of social support on the association between generational status and HRQoL. A sample comprised 4807 reports on children (mean age = 7.47 years) in Hong Kong was analyzed. Significantly lower HRQoL related to physical functioning was observed among children in migrant families. Association between generational status and child HRQoL was mediated by commute time between home and school, frequency of moving home, and social support.

FINDINGS lend utility to addressing similar issues amongst other developmental immigrant populations.

Language: en

Keywords

child health; generation; migration; quality of life; social support