Search Results (14)

The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on daily life, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as rural-to-urban young migrant workers. Based on General Strain Theory (GST), these pandemic-related strains lead to delinquent copings, including excessive Internet use. However, the association between pandemic-related challenges faced by migrant youth and their digital copings has yet to be investigated. GST also posits that some conditioning factors, such as conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction, might serve as protective factors, which can help to alleviate the disruptive consequences of the pandemic-related strains. Utilizing the fourth sweep of International Self-Report Delinquency Survey (ISRD4) in China comprising 769 working migrant adolescents aged 16 to 19, who did not attend high school, the present study examines variations in pandemic-related strains, frequent use of the Internet for gaming and social media, and their associations. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effect of three protective factors: conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction. Results indicated that economic strain, information strain and health-related strain significantly influenced digital coping strategies, with notable gender differences. Conventional beliefs served as a significant moderator for males, while life satisfaction played a more significant moderating role for females. Relevant policy implications are then discussed. Full article

This study evaluates the impact of urban migration on the mental health of young women, focusing specifically on how objective life stressors, perceived neighborhood safety, and subjective socioeconomic status influence depression. Depression is the main outcome measure in this research, serving as a critical indicator of mental health in the context of urban migration. Utilizing a stratified cluster sampling approach, we collect data from 2138 young female migrants in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, employing the Life Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, Perceived Neighborhood Safety Scale, and Subjective Social Economic Status Scale to assess the corresponding constructs. Our findings highlight that life stressors directly contribute to increased depression levels among young female migrants, with perceived neighborhood safety significantly mediating this relationship. Furthermore, subjective socioeconomic status moderates the impact of life stressors on perceived neighborhood safety, underlining the intricate dynamics between objective life stressors and the social-environmental context in shaping mental health outcomes. This research underscores the importance of creating supportive and inclusive social environments to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of life stressors on young female migrants, thereby contributing to discussions on sustainability and social welfare. Full article

Young migrant women workers frequently experience disparities in accessing health services, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, especially in urban settings. This study assesses the barriers and utilization of SRH services and explores factors associated with the utilization of these services among young female migrant workers working in the industrial zone (IZ) in Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1061 young women migrant workers working in an IZ in Hanoi, Vietnam. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with utilization of SRH services. Nearly 35% of the participants reported using SRH services at least once since working in the IZ. Additionally, around 78% of the participants reported using a contraceptive method during their last sexual encounter. The study also found that older participants (25–29 years old) were nearly two times more likely to use SRH services than younger participants (18–24 years old) (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.19–3.06). Married participants had nearly six times higher odds of using SRH services compared to single participants (OR = 5.98, 95% CI: 3.71–9.63), and participants with higher incomes were more likely to use SRH services (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04). The most commonly reported barriers to access SRH services were inconvenient hours of service operation (26.2%), followed by long distance from the service location (9.2%) and high service cost (5.2%). This study found a low level of SRH service utilization and identified several barriers to accessing these services among the study participants. The study findings provide important evidence insights for policymakers and program managers to develop and implement policies that help reduce barriers and enhance the provision of SRH services tailored to the needs of IZ married and unmarried women migrant workers in the IZ in rapidly developing and urbanizing countries like Vietnam and other low- and middle-income countries with similar contexts. Full article

Unaccounted-for migrant workers (UMWs), who have left their employment placement and whose whereabouts are unknown, make up a vulnerable population in Taiwan. The children of UMWs have a particularly precarious status because they are undocumented/stateless, immigrant, and young. Living with this precarious status limits their children’s rights to survival and development. Moreover, services for female UMWs and their undocumented children are underdeveloped. This study explores the accessibility and availability of social services for UMWs and undocumented children, based on interviews with 12 stakeholders from multiple systems, including a local government, a child welfare placement center, a migrant worker detention center, a hospital, a regional religious center, and a foreign country office. Preliminary findings indicate the following: First, UMWs’ rights to healthcare are not preserved, and they experience greater prenatal risks because their illegal status excludes them from universal health coverage. Second, undocumented children’s rights to survival and development are concerning because these children can be placed in residential care without individualized care or environmental stimulation. Third, children’s rights to cultural identity and permanency are uncertain in that repatriation or adoption does not guarantee their future best interests. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world population; however, there is limited knowledge about its impact on adolescents. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in northern Chile. The sample consisted of 1315 young people between the ages of 14 and 18. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were performed to identify the risk factors associated to the considered symptomatology. Depressive symptomatology was reported at 36.3%, anxiety at 6%, and social phobia at 27.8%. Adolescent females reported a higher probability of presenting depressive (OR, 3.409), anxious (OR, 3.949), and social phobia (OR, 3.027) symptomatology. Young women between the ages of 17 and 18 were more likely to present anxiety (OR, 2.172); moreover, being a migrant was related to lower odds of presenting anxiety (OR, 0.259) and depression (OR, 0.662). Having a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 was associated with depressive symptomatology (OR, 1.369). The COVID-19 pandemic can have serious repercussions on the mental health of adolescents. It is important to generate interventions to meet the needs of youth during the post-confinement period. Full article

The current study aimed to investigate the longitudinal predictors of perceived importance of climate change and personal worry among Italian youths. Specifically, we used machine learning techniques to examine the predictive importance of a wide range of socio-demographic factors, political perceptions, attitudes on a national and European level (identity, attitudes, tolerance, support for democracy, authoritarianism, nationalism, political trust), efficacy beliefs, social well-being, political interest, and different forms of participation on perceived importance of climate change and personal worry. In this longitudinal study, we collected data using a questionnaire in two waves at a one-year interval—in 2016 and 2017. Participants were 1288 Italian young adults (61.3% were female; 38.7% were male) whose mean age was 19.18 (SD = 3.29) ranging between 15 and 30 years. Breiman’s random forest algorithm performed better than Friedman’s gradient boosting machines algorithm. The random forest algorithm revealed that age, tolerance toward migrants, and tolerance toward refugees were the most important predictors of perceived importance of climate change and personal worry. Other important predictors were national/European identity, political interest, internal political efficacy, nationalism, social well-being, self-efficacy, authoritarianism, anti-democratic attitudes, EU warmth, and online and civic participation. Full article

Background: International medical graduates (IMGs) in Canada are individuals who received their medical education and training outside Canada. They undergo a complex licensing procedure in their host country and compete for limited opportunities available to become practicing physicians. Many of them cannot succeed or do not have the resources or interest to undergo this complex and unpredictable career pathway and seek alternative career options. In this study, we aimed to understand how IMGs integrate into the alternative job market, their demographic characteristics, and the types of jobs they undertake after moving to Canada. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional, online, nationwide, and open survey was conducted among IMGs in Canada. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire included information on employment status, types of jobs, professional experience, and level of medical education and practice (e.g., specialties, subspecialties, etc.). We conducted a survey of 1740 IMGs in total; however, we excluded responses from those IMGs who are currently working in a clinical setting, thus limiting the number of responses to 1497. Results: Of the respondents, 43.19% were employed and 56.81% were unemployed. Employed participants were more likely to be older males, have stayed longer in Canada, and had more senior-level job experience before moving to Canada. We also observed that the more years that had passed after graduation, the higher the likelihood of being employed. The majority of the IMGs were employed in health-related nonregulated jobs (50.45%). The results were consistent across other demographic characteristics, including different provinces, countries of origin, gender, time since graduation, and length of stay in Canada. Conclusions: This study found that certain groups of IMGs, such as young females, recent immigrants, recent graduates, and less experienced IMGs had a higher likelihood of being unemployed. These findings will inform policymakers, immigrant and professional service organizations, and researchers working for human resources and professional integration of skilled migrants to develop programs and improve policies to facilitate the employment of IMGs through alternative careers. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to have impaired the mental health and well-being of young people. This study, for the first time, explores these aspects in young people with and without a migratory background during the extended course of the pandemic and restrictive measures, comparing two countries with a high COVID-19 prevalence: Austria and Turkey. Methods: The authors used the “Psychological General Well-being” index as part of an anonymous online survey with 3665 participants (ages 15–25), recruited from both countries during the first and the second waves of the pandemic, collecting data on individual experiences and problems encountered during the pandemic. Results: Mental health (b = 0.06, p < 0.023) and general psychological well-being worsened with the progression of the pandemic. Participants with financial problems had the most severe negative effect on mental health (b = 0.12, p < 0.001). Furthermore, females living in Turkey, both natives (b = −0.21, p < 0.001) and migrants (b = 0.25, p < 0.001), reported a more deteriorated mental health status over time. Conclusions: The extended pandemic duration and resultant “lockdown” restrictions have negatively affected the mental health of young people to varying degrees, depending on country of residence and migration background. A strong “recovery plan” that considers group-specific needs and vulnerabilities is urgently needed. Full article

For many family farms, migration is one strategy for reducing poverty and vulnerability to both natural hazards and economic risk. While more men typically migrate to work, the implications of this on the household are inconclusive, especially for the women who remain on the farms. This study employs a gender lens to examine the effects of economically driven migration on household decision-making, farm labor and disaster risk reduction, focusing on two disaster-prone regions with high poverty rates in Vietnam: Dien Bien (Northwest) and Ha Tinh (North Central Coast) provinces. Surveys of 228 households with at least one migrant worker showed a new generation of young male and female migrants, and that men over 30 years of age migrated for longer periods and more frequently than their spouses. Intrahousehold impacts differed according to risk strategies. In areas with a lower-risk coping strategy (Dien Bien), seasonal jobs coincided with periods of less intense farming activities. During the absence of male family members, women temporarily made more domestic decisions. In areas with a higher-risk adaptation strategy (Ha Tinh), farming was planned for longer absences; thus decisions remained largely unchanged. Remittances invested into agriculture contributed to shortening the recovery period after disasters and, in some cases, diversifying farming systems. The migrant’s absence was offset by relatives and neighbors as essential labor reserves. New resilient farming systems need to be disaster proof, gender-sensitive and free up labor. Full article

Lebanon hosts over one million refugees displaced from Syria as a result of the armed conflict—of whom, approximately 15% are adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Many female adolescent migrants report a decrease in quality of life and an increase in family tensions. This study sought to investigate the emotional well-being of adolescent Syrian girls in Lebanon. We hypothesized that married girls may experience additional hardships and thus greater feelings of dissatisfaction in daily life, given their young marriage and responsibilities at home. This study was part of a large mixed-methods study on the experiences of Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon (n = 1422). Using line-by-line coding and thematic analysis, 188 first-person narratives from Syrian girls were analysed. Our results highlight poor emotional well-being among married and unmarried girls, with sadness, fear and anger commonly mentioned. Some participants expressed feelings of hope, happiness, gratefulness and empowerment. Unmarried girls (n = 111) were more likely to associate their shared stories with negative feelings such as sadness (47% vs. 22%), disappointment (30% vs. 19%), and frustration (32% vs. 22%) than were married girls (n = 77). Four themes emerged as important determinants: access to education, perceived safety, peer support, and longing for life back in Syria. Continued efforts to improve emotional well-being for married and unmarried refugee girls are needed in Lebanon, in particular those that address the nuances for these groups. Full article

For decades, Sikhs have made the choice to migrate to the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), or Canada, as these countries are held in high esteem by Sikh communities and appear to afford prestige in socio-cultural terms to those who settle in them. However, changes in border policies (among other considerations such as the greater difficulty of establishing themselves in other countries, the opening of borders by regularization processes in Spain, commercial business purposes, or political reasons) have compelled Sikh migrants to diversify their destinations, which now include many European countries, Spain among them. The first generation of Sikhs arrived in Spain as part of this search for new migratory routes, and there are now sizable Sikh communities settled in different parts of this country. All migrants need to follow a process of adaptation to their new living environment. Moreover, a novel living context may offer new possibilities for migrants to (re)negotiate old identities and create new ones, both at individual and collective levels. This article will explore a case study of a Sikh community in Barcelona to reflect on the forms in which Sikh men and women perceive, question, and manage their identity and their lives in this new migratory context in Spain. The present paper argues that adaptation to the new place implies identity negotiations that include the redefinition of gender roles, changes in the management of body and appearance, and, most particularly, the emergence of new forms of agency among young Sikh women. In addition, we argue that new forms of female agency are made possible not only by the opportunities offered by the new context, but also emerge as a reaction against the many pressures experienced by the young women and exerted by their male counterparts in Sikh communities, as the latter push against the loss of traditional values. Full article

The European continent appears as a new transcultural environment at the heart of globalization in which religious subjectivities are developed. I observe this more specifically in the socioreligious trajectories of the descendants of Muslim migrants. This paper focuses on the mobilization of Islam in its social manifestations among female Muslim teachers in Muslim private schools, in comparison with the Islam of young female students at university. Research with the professors allows us to question the religious activity of the interviewees and how they develop a long-term lifestyle, including in a context marked by stigmatization, against the backdrop of the results of our previous work on the emancipation pattern of the “sisters in Islam”. This analysis is based on a comparative approach that aims to capture a new way of being in the French society, in a religious frame of reference that is being reinvented. Full article

During the current period of immigration to Western Europe, national healthcare systems are confronted with high numbers of asylum seekers with largely unknown health status. To improve care taking strategies, we assessed healthcare utilization in a large, representative cohort of newly arriving migrants consisting of n = 1533 residents of a reception center in Northern Germany in 2015. Most asylum seekers were young, male adults, and the majority came from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Overall, we observed a frequency of 0.03 visits to the onsite primary healthcare ward per asylum seeker and day of camp residence (IQR 0.0–0.07, median duration of residence 38.0 days, IQR 30.0–54.25). Female asylum seekers showed higher healthcare utilization rates than their male counterparts, and healthcare utilization was particularly low in asylum seekers in their second decade of life. Furthermore, a significant correlation between time after camp entrance and healthcare utilization behavior occurred: During the first week of camp residence, 37.1 visits/100 asylum seekers were observed, opposed to only 9.5 visits/100 asylum seekers during the sixth week of camp residence. This first data on healthcare utilization in a large, representative asylum seeker cohort entering Western Europe during the current crisis shows that primary care is most needed in the first period directly after arrival. Our dataset may help to raise awareness for refugee and migrant healthcare needs and to adapt care taking strategies accordingly. Full article

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant threat to individual and public health. They disproportionately affect adolescents and young adults. In a cross-sectional study, we assessed self-rated and factual STI knowledge in a sample of 9th graders in 13 secondary schools in Berlin, Germany. Differences by age, gender, migrant background, and school type were quantified using bivariate and multivariable analyses. A total of 1177 students in 61 classes participated. The mean age was 14.6 (SD = 0.7), 47.5% were female, and 52.9% had at least one immigrant parent. Knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was widespread, but other STIs were less known. For example, 46.2% had never heard of chlamydia, 10.8% knew of the HPV vaccination, and only 2.2% were aware that no cure exists for HPV infection. While boys were more likely to describe their knowledge as good, there was no general gender superiority in factual knowledge. Children of immigrants and students in the least academic schools had lower knowledge overall. Our results show that despite their particular risk to contract an STI, adolescents suffer from suboptimal levels of knowledge on STIs beyond HIV. Urgent efforts needed to improve adolescent STI knowledge in order to improve the uptake of primary and secondary prevention. Full article