Quality of Life of Rural–Urban Migrant Children in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aims to examine the quality of life of Chinese migrant children and to explore whether social capital mediates the relationship between a child’s migration status and quality of life. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a district of Shanghai, China. Based on a sample consists of 1,577 Chinese children in fourth to sixth grade, we used multivariable linear regression to examine the associations and mechanisms among migration, social capital and quality of life. Migrant children reported lower scores for quality of life than their urban counterparts. However, we identified higher levels of neighbourhood social cohesion, trust in their school and neighbourhood, and higher level of maternal autonomy support can mediate the damaging effects of migration status on quality of life. The results indicate that hukou restrictions put migrant children at a disadvantageous position and negatively affect their quality of life. While their migration status is unlikely to change soon, we found that higher levels of certain social capital can alleviate the negative effects of migration status on children’s quality of life, and thus can be utilised for welfare programme design.