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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities in Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1536526
Understanding Social Integration and Health Outcomes Among China's Internal Migrants: A Systematic Review
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
- 2 Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
- 3 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
The internal migrant populations in China have contributed significantly to the country's social and economic landscape, yet health disparities among migrants remain a pressing concern. Social integration is considered a critical factor influencing health outcomes, but evidence on this relationship is fragmented. This systematic review aims to synthesize existing studies to explore the association between social integration and health outcomes, including healthcare service utilization, self-reported health (SRH), and noncommunicable disease (NCD), among internal migrants in China.Methods: A systematic search was conducted across three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO) to identify studies published from January 2014 to November 2024 according to the protocol (INPLASY2024110085). The JBI assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies.Results: A total of sixteen eligible cross-sectional studies were identified, focusing on the multidimensional aspects of social integration, including economic integration, acculturation, social networks and self-identity and their influence on health outcomes. Eleven papers focused on health service utilization, four concentrated on SRH and one discussed both NCDs and SRH. The majority of included studies indicated a significantly positive association between social integration and health outcomes of internal migrants.Social integration plays a crucial role in addressing health disparities among internal migrants in China. This review emphasizes the need for initiatives at all levels to enhance economic inclusion, cultural adaptation, and social networks to foster better social integration for the migrant community. Addressing these gaps will promote equitable healthcare access and improve the wellbeing of internal migrants in China.
Keywords: Migrant population, China, health service utilization, Self-reported health, Noncommunicable disease, Social integration
Received: 29 Nov 2024; Accepted: 17 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Li and Tang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Kun Tang, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100083, Beijing Municipality, China
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