Migrant Workers In Shanghai Research Articles

Niche Sociality: Approaching Adversity in Everyday Life

How should sociologists understand the everyday lives of those living in adversity, coping with the experience of structural violence? In this article, focusing on the urban experience, we suggest a perspective on ‘everyday life’ that can encompass corporeal, mental, relational and social dimensions, which we term ‘niche sociality’. First, we use Gibson’s niches and affordances to enrich the post-representationalist understanding of human beings as embodied/cultural/environmentally embedded organisms. Second, we enrich Gibson’s niches and affordances with theories for ‘small-scale’ sociality drawn from social practice theory and interaction ritual chains. Third, we illustrate the productivity of these ideas throughout the article, by grounding our conceptual work in empirical examples that analyse the everyday lives and mental life of migrant workers in Shanghai. Niche sociality, we argue, is a way of framing the experience of the everyday, a perspective that could – perhaps should – provoke novel ecosocial studies of adversity.

Cross-Sectional Seroepidemiologic Study of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Close Contacts, Children, and Migrant Workers in Shanghai.

(1) Background: Along with an increasing risk caused by migrant workers returning to the urban areas for the resumption of work and production and growing epidemiological evidence of possible transmission during the incubation period, a study of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is warranted among key populations to determine the serum antibody against the SARS-CoV-2 and the carrying status of SARS-CoV-2 to identify potential asymptomatic infection and to explore the risk factors. (2) Method: This is a cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study. Three categories of targeted populations (close contacts, migrant workers who return to urban areas for work, and school children) will be included in this study as they are important for case identification in communities. A multi-stage sampling method will be employed to acquire an adequate sample size. Assessments that include questionnaires and blood, nasopharyngeal specimens, and feces collection will be performed via home-visit survey. (3) Ethics and Dissemination: The study was approved by the Institute Review Board of School of Public Health, Fudan University (IRB#2020-04-0818). Before data collection, written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The manuscripts from this work will be submitted for publication in quality peer-reviewed journals and presented at national or international conferences.

Patterns, influencing factors and mediating effects of smartphone use and problematic smartphone use among migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

With the popularization of smartphones in China, the conditions of smartphone use (SU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU) among migrant workers are unknown. This study explored the patterns and influencing factors of SU and PSU in migrant workers in Shanghai, China. Furthermore, the mediation effects of PSU in the link between SU and some psychological factors were also examined. Questionnaires containing the Mobile Phone Addiction Index, Patient Health Questionnaire, World Health Organization Five-item Well-being Index and other items, including demographics, sleep quality, job stress and SU, were distributed to 2330 migrant workers by trained investigators in six districts of Shanghai from June to September 2018. Of the 2129 returned questionnaires, 2115 were valid. SU and PSU varied according to certain demographics. Many demographics, psychological factors, sleep quality and main smartphone applications were influencing factors for SU and PSU. PSU played a mediating role in the link between daily SU time and psychological factors, including depression, mental health and job stress. The health influences of SU and PSU on migrant workers in Shanghai merit significant attention. Additionally, it is necessary to develop and target intervention strategies according to the workers' various characteristics and SU patterns.

Exploiting the distance between conflicting norms: Female rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai negotiating stigma around singlehood and marriage

On the basis of fieldwork conducted in Shanghai, this article explores how Chinese rural-to-urban migrant women cope with the stigmatization they face as a result of conflicting gender norms regarding singlehood and marriage in their home communities and in Shanghai. We focus on how migrant women legitimate their relationship status as single, married or having a boyfriend in relation to these norms. Our findings reveal that migrant women, while not rejecting existing norms outright, actively pre-empt or counteract the stigmatization of their singlehood or of the fact that they live apart from their husband using coping strategies that exploit their position in between the urban context and their rural hometowns in intricate ways.

Sexual compulsivity and its relationship with condomless sex among unmarried female migrant workers in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIndividuals with high sexual compulsivity are preoccupied with their sexual desire to such an extent that it interferes with their normal daily life and can inhibit self-control. Previous studies have found a close association between sexual compulsivity and condomless sex among different populations; however, no studies have investigated this among unmarried female migrant workers in China. This study aimed to validate the Sexual Compulsivity Scale (SCS) for appropriate use and examine the association between sexual compulsivity and condomless sex in this target population.MethodsIn 2015, we recruited 1325 unmarried female migrant workers in Shanghai, China. Information about sociodemographics, sexual compulsivity, and condomless sex were collected using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed to validate the Chinese version of the SCS. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between sexual compulsivity and condomless sex.ResultsThe prevalence of condomless sex in the previous 6 months was 66.8% among all participants. The SCS was proven internally consistent for the overall scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.89), and two factors, Social Disruptiveness (Cronbach’s α = 0.87) and Perceived Self-Control (Cronbach’s α = 0.84), were extracted. With mean total score of 18.25 (standard deviation = 4.94) after adjusting for significant sociodemographic factors, the SCS total scores (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.07) and two subscale scores (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02–1.13; AOR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02–1.10) were all related to inconsistent condom use with partners in the previous 6 months.ConclusionsThe Chinese version of the SCS was found to be well adaptable for use among unmarried Chinese female migrant workers and a potential predictor for condomless sex. In addition to safe sex interventions, counselling on managing sexually compulsivity should also be provided in this population.

Erratum to: Sexual behavior of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

Erratum to: Sexual behavior of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

Increasing Social Inclusion for the Children of Migrant Workers in Shanghai, China: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of a Non-Governmental, Volunteer-Led, After-School Program

In Shanghai, a mega-city of approximately 24.15 million people (Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau, 2015, “Art. 13”), the population of migrant workers continues to increase. According to the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau (2015), as of 2015, 9.81 million residents did not have household registration papers. Of these, 70%, or 6.87 million were migrant workers (“Art. 13”). The researcher relied on qualitative research techniques to explore the outcomes of an after-school program for the children of migrant workers. The study took place over a four-year period with data being collected throughout. Keeping in mind methodology limitations, the analysis affirmed the success of the hoped for outcomes of the program.

Association between adverse mental health and an unhealthy lifestyle in rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai

The association between adverse mental health and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in migrant workers remains poorly defined in Chinese rural-to-urban migrants. A cross-sectional study was conducted regarding health-related behaviors in 5484 migrants (51.3% males) employed in Shanghai for at least 6months. The Chinese version of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was used to assess migrant mental health status. Logistic regression was applied to determine the contribution of adverse mental health to lifestyle behaviors. Of the 5484 migrants, 21.1% had potential mental health problems and 63.1% had an unhealthy lifestyle. The three most prevalent mental disorders were obsessions-compulsions (O-C; 13.7%; 751/5484), interpersonal sensitivity (I-S; 11.0%; 603/5484), and hostility (HOS; 10.8%; 590/5484). Compared with the male participants, the female participants exhibited significantly increased mean scores for phobic anxiety (PHOB) and anxiety (ANX) (p<0.001). Logistic regression indicated that after adjustment for potential confounding factors in both genders, an unhealthy lifestyle score was significantly associated with all nine subscales of the SCL-90-R. The male participants with psychoticism [PSY; odds ratio (OR)=4.908, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.474-9.735], ANX (OR=4.022, 95% CI 2.151-7.518), or depression (DEP; OR=3.378, 95% CI 2.079-5.487) were the most likely to have an unhealthy lifestyle. In the female participants, an unhealthy lifestyle was most associated with HOS (OR=2.868, 95% CI 2.155-3.819), PSY (OR=2.783, 95% CI 1.870-4.141), or DEP (OR=2.650, 95% CI 1.960-3.582). Lifestyle behaviors were significantly associated with mental health in rural-to-urban migrant workers, and these findings indicate the need to develop targeted psychological interventions to foster healthy lifestyles in migrants.

Sexual behavior of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

BackgroundRapid urbanization of China has resulted in significant domestic migration. The purpose of the present study was to survey the sexual behavior of migrant workers in Shanghai and determine the risk factors for unprotected sex.MethodsA cross-sectional study of the sexual behavior of 5996 migrant workers was conducted in 7 administrative regions of Shanghai in 2012 from August to October. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data.ResultsFive thousand seven hundred seventy two out of the 5996 migrants enrolled into the present study were primarily young adults aged 34.3 ± 10.6 years. Of them, 73.5 % were married, 51.1 % graduated from junior high school, 46.0 % earned 1500–2500 yuan (RMB) monthly. The majority (82.3 %) of the migrants engaged in sexual behavior, and 58.0 % did not use condoms in sexual intercourse. Some of the participants (15.2 %) had casual extramarital partners within the previous 12 months; among them, 76.2 % never or only occasionally used condoms. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that condom use was associated with age, occupation, monthly income, education, and housing conditions. Having temporary sexual partners was significantly associated with several factors such as unmarried (OR: 0.47, 95 % CI: 0.38–0.57), working at domestic (OR: 1.65,95 % CI: 1.17–2.34), working at wholesale/retail(OR: 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.13–2.13), and male migrants (OR: 2.37, 95 % CI: 1.96–2.85), but not with other factors such as age, monthly income, or education. Having casual extramarital partners was significantly associated with female migrants working at domestic (OR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.09–3.28), unmarried male migrants (OR: 0.51, 95 % CI: 0.36–0.74).ConclusionCloser attention should be paid to sexual health education among migrant workers, especially women and those working in domestic and wholesale/retail occupations. The use of condoms should be promoted for older (>35 y), low-income, and less-educated individuals.

Health-related lifestyle behaviors among male and female rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

BackgroundLifestyle behaviors significantly impact health, yet remain poorly defined in Chinese rural-to-urban migrants.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study of health-related behaviors of 5484 rural-to-urban migrants who had worked in Shanghai for at least six months, we assessed the contribution of demographics and physical and mental health to lifestyle behaviors in male and female participants by multiple stepwise cumulative odds logistic regression.ResultsRespondents were 51.3% male. 9.9% exhibited abnormal blood pressure; 27.0% were overweight or obese; 11.2% reported abnormal mental health; 36.9% reported healthy lifestyle. Multiple stepwise cumulative odds logistic regression indicated that men working in manufacturing reported less unhealthy lifestyle than those in hospitality (cumulative odds ratio (COR) = 1.806, 95%CI 1.275–2.559) or recreation/leisure (COR = 3.248, 95%CI 2.379–4.435); and women working in manufacturing and construction reported less unhealthy lifestyle than those in all other sectors. Unhealthy lifestyle was associated with small workplaces for men (COR = 1.422, 95%CI 1.154–1.752), working more than 8 or 11 hours per day for women and men, respectively, and earning over 3500 RMB in women (COR = 1.618, 95%CI 1.137–2.303). Single women and women who had previously resided in three or more cities were more likely to report unhealthy lifestyle (COR = 2.023, 95%CI 1.664–2.461, and COR = 1.311, 95%CI 1.072–1.602, respectively). Abnormal mental status was also correlated with unhealthy lifestyle in men (COR = 3.105, 95%CI 2.454–3.930) and women (COR = 2.566, 95%CI 2.024–3.252).ConclusionsThere were different risk factors of unhealthy lifestyle score in male and female rural-to-urban migrants, especially in number of cities experienced, salary, marital status, work place scale. Several demographic groups: employment sectors (e.g. hospitality and recreation/leisure), working conditions (e.g. long hours) and abnormal mental status were associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in Chinese rural-to-urban migrants, and health interventions should be targeted to these groups.

Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and rate of wearing spectacles in schools for children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

BackgroundTo assess the prevalence of visual impairment and rate of wearing spectacles in schools for children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.MethodsChildren from grade 1 to 5 in schools for children of migrant workers were randomly chosen for ocular examinations. All children were screened for uncorrected visual acuity and presenting visual acuity. After screening, the children whose uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or less received ocular motility evaluation, cycloplegic refraction/non-cycloplegic refraction, and external eye, anterior segment, media, and fundus examinations.ResultsA total of 9673 children were enumerated and 9512 (98.34%) participated in this study. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting, and best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better eye were 13.33%, 11.26%, and 0.63%, respectively. The rate of wearing spectacles of the children with visual impairment in one or both eyes was 15.50%. Of these, 26.05% were wearing spectacles with inaccurate prescriptions. Refractive error was a major cause of visual impairment, accounting for 89.48% of all the visual impairment causes. Other causes of visual impairment included amblyopia accounting for 10.12%; congenital cataract, 0.1%; congenital nystagmus, 0.1%; ocular prosthesis, 0.1%; macular degeneration, 0.05%; and opaque cornea, 0.05%.ConclusionsThis is the first study of the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in schools for children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China. The visual impairment rate in schools for children of migrant workers in suburbs of Shanghai in the best eye before vision correction was lower than those of urban children in mainstream schools in Guangzhou in 2012, and higher than students in rural of Beijing in 1998 and in suburb of Chongqing in 2007. The refractive error was the principal cause of the visual impairment of the children of migrant workers. The rate of wearing spectacles was low and the percentage of inaccurate prescriptions, among those who wore spectacles, was high. Uncorrected refractive error was a significant cause of visual impairment in migrant children.

Nicotine dependence among rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai

Objective To explore the nicotine dependence levels and the influencing factors of dependence among rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai so as to provide scientific rationales for an effective implementation of tobacco control. Methods Multi-stage randomized sampling was used to select a total of 5 856 rural-to-urban migrant workers from 7 districts in Shanghai. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between nicotine dependence and relevant risk factors. Results The current smoking prevalence was 23.7%. The average FTND score for current smokers, high dependence and low dependence were 3.38±2.49, 7.00±1.07 and 2.23±1.71 respectively. The high and low dependence rates were 21.7% and 78.3%. The results of logistic regression showed that education, duration of smoking and length of migration were associated with nicotine dependence. Lower level of education was more prone to high nicotine dependence. Those with a lower education had a higher risk of nicotine dependence (junior high school: OR=1.742, primary school or lower: OR=1.994 vs. senior high school or higher). High nicotine dependence increased with the duration of smoking (smoking 6-10 years: OR=3.007, 11-15 years: OR=4.076, 16-20 years: OR=5.451, 20 years or more: OR=5.726 vs. 5 years or less). Length of migration over 3 years was less likely to have a high nicotine dependence (3-5 years: OR=0.602, more than 5 years: OR=0.407 vs. < 1 year). Conclusion The rate of high nicotine dependence is high among rural-to-urban migrant workers in Shanghai. Level of education, duration of smoking and length of migration are significant influencing factors of nicotine dependence. Key words: Tobacco use disorder; Smoking; Questionnaires

Unmarried male migrants and sexual risk behavior: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

BackgroundIn China, there is increasing concern because of the rapid increase in HIV infection recorded over recent years. Migrant workers are recognized as one of the groups most affected. In this study, HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among unmarried migrant workers in Shanghai are investigated, with the aim of providing critical information for policy makers and sex educators to reinforce sexual health services and sex health education targeting the behavior and sexual health of unmarried male migrants.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among unmarried male migrant workers in Shanghai, China’s largest city and housing the most migrants. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior associated with increased risk of HIV/AIDS.ResultsA total of 2254 subjects were questioned, with a response rate of 91.3%. Among those interviewed, 63.5% reported sexual activities. Misconceptions regarding HIV transmission, poor perception of HIV infection, and low use of condoms were not uncommon. Among those who had sexual intercourse, 73.7% had not used condoms in their last sexual intercourse, and 28.6% reported having engaged in sexual risk behavior (defined as having at least one non-regular partner). Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified several indicators of sexual risk behavior, including younger age at first sexual intercourse (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.31–0.91 for older age at first sexual intercourse), more cities of migration (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.17–3.81 for high level; OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.29 for medium level), poor perception of acquiring HIV/AIDS (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.33–1.96 for unlikely; OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.61–3.70 for impossible), frequent exposure to pornography (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.11–0.43 for never; OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.60–1.81 for less frequently), not knowing someone who had or had died of HIV/AIDS and related diseases (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.70–2.53 for no), and having peers who engaged in sex with a non-regular sex partner (OR: 4.40, 95% CI: 3.37–5.56 for yes).ConclusionsToday, it is necessary to reinforce sex health education among unmarried migrants and sexual health services should target vulnerable migrant young people.

Winding Road Toward the Chinese Dream: The U-shaped Relationship Between Income and Life Satisfaction Among Chinese Migrant Workers

This study examines the relationship between income and subjective well-being among rural-to-urban migrant workers in China. Our analysis of a recent survey uncovered a U-shaped relationship between income and overall life satisfaction for migrant workers in Shanghai. Furthermore, the positive correlation is curvilinear, showing that increasing income yields diminishing returns. Drawing upon ethnographic literature concerning migrant workers, we suggest several possible explanations. For the poorest migrant workers, small increases in income are correlated with longer working hours and increased social comparison with their urban neighbors. After migrant workers’ income reaches a certain level, however, they are able to save money, giving them hope for future social mobility. Furthermore, migrant workers with disposable income can purchase status symbols, helping them to partially overcome their stigmatized status. The positive effect of income on life satisfaction eventually reaches a plateau, however, as even the wealthiest migrant workers find that they cannot surpass the limitations presented by their outsider identity and lack of an urban residence permit. Other findings include a negative relationship between income and income satisfaction and a positive relationship between education and income satisfaction. We conclude that the unique context surrounding Chinese migrant workers alters the typical effects of certain factors upon well-being and satisfaction.

A comparison of female migrant workers’ mental health in four cities in China

There are approximately 47.5 million female migrant workers living in major cities in China. Numerous studies have documented the marginalized living conditions confronting migrant workers in cities, such as employment difficulties, unjustifiably demanding working conditions, lack of medical insurance and social provision, poor housing conditions, unfavourable educational arrangements for migrant children, and discrimination by urban residents. In addition, female migrant workers may suffer from discrimination, exploitation and oppression. This study aimed to explore the difficulties and perceived meaningfulness of migration and their effect on the mental health status of female migrant workers in Shanghai, Kunshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen. A total of 959 female migrant workers from 12 factories completed the questionnaires, which included the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Migration Stress Scale and the Meaning in Migration Scale. The findings indicate that 24% of female migrant workers could be classified as having poor mental health and the percentage in Shenzhen (35%) was far greater than in the three other cities in China. 'Financial and employment-related difficulties', 'cultural differences', gender-specific stressors and 'better future for self and children' significantly accounted for the mental health outcomes of female migrant workers. Recommendations for policy change and service initiatives targeted at improving the mental health of female migrant workers are discussed.

Injury among migrant workers in Changning district, Shanghai, China

The objective of this study was to characterise the injury epidemic and injury prevention needs of migrant workers in Shanghai. Cluster random sampling was applied in selecting subjects in migrant gathering areas, and face-to-face interview survey was conducted in this study. In this survey, 1256 migrant workers were included, among which the injury incidence in last one year was 38.3%. The first four injuries were incised and penetrating injury (9.5%), falls (7.2%), traffic injury (6.3%) and burns (5.3%). The injury incidence of male workers was significantly higher than that of female workers (χ2 = 22.7, P < 0.01). Electricians, safeguards and construction workers were at the highest risk of getting injured. About 60.7% of injury episodes happened at a residence. The longest period of absence from work was up to 3 months due to falls, while the highest medical expense was near 9999 CNY ($1464.2) caused by traffic injury. About 62.9% of migrant workers need services on injury prevention. It is concluded that compared with urban registered residents, migrant workers have significantly higher incidence of injury in Shanghai. Injury prevention services are in urgent demand among the migrant workers.

The Protective Functions of Relationships, Social Support and Self-Esteem in the Life Satisfaction of Children of Migrant Workers in Shanghai, China

At present, China has approximately 20 million migrant school-aged children accompanying their parents in relocating to the cities. However, very little is known about them. Using a resilience framework, the present study attempted to examine the psychosocial factors affecting their life satisfaction in Shanghai, China. A total of 625 migrant children were recruited from 10 schools in Shanghai through a cross-sectional survey design using multi-stage cluster sampling method. The questionnaire included measures of life satisfaction, self-esteem, social support, relationships at school and the parent-child and peer relationships. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to explore the relative effects of different relationship domains, self-esteem and social support on the life satisfaction of migrant children. The results suggested that parent-child and peer relationships significantly influenced the life satisfaction of children of migrant workers. Relationships in school did not exert such effect. Both social support and self-esteem had significant effects on the life satisfaction of migrant children. Relationship factors, social support and self-esteem are critical factors affecting the life satisfaction of migrant children. The findings and implications were discussed in relation to developmental and migration-related issues and the social contexts of the lives of children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China.

Correlates of psychological wellbeing of children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China

It is estimated that approximately 20 million migrant school-aged children have accompanied their parents in relocating to cities in China. However, little research on the lives of these children has been conducted. The purpose of the present study is to identify the risk factors associated with the psychological wellbeing of children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China. A total of 625 children of migrant workers were recruited from ten primary and secondary schools in Shanghai through a survey design using the multistage cluster sampling method. Children of migrant workers were identified as mentally healthy or unhealthy using The revised child anxiety and depression scale. Socio-demographic characteristics, parent-child relationship, peer relationship and relationships in schools were explored as correlates of the psychological wellbeing of children of migrant workers. Compared to overseas studies, children of migrant workers suffered from symptoms of separation anxiety, depression and generalized anxiety disorder. They were male (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 0.99-3.60), older in age (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.99-1.40), experiencing parent-child conflicts (OR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.28-2.89), discipline from teacher (OR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.26-4.16) and discrimination in school (OR = 4.53, 95% CI 1.11-18.48). The findings provide information for the prevention of mental ill-health among children of migrant workers in China. The implications and limitations are also discussed.

Migrant Workers in Shanghai

As China’s economy turns to globalisation, at home the issue of a floating workforce is becoming more intense and complex. In Shanghai, low-skilled migrants are subject to economic and social segregation. This comes with a social stigma and restricts the migrants to particular economic sectors within a fragmented labour market. Nonetheless, the itineraries the migrants follow allow them to acquire certain skills and resources. Their survival strategies produce what have been called “situations of affiliation and disaffiliation” within an overall situation of general insecurity.