Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China
Abstract Background The mental health of migrants living in the post-migration urban environment poses a significant public health challenge in both developed and developing economies. Few empirical studies attempted to disentangle the influence pathways that acculturation might produce the link bet...
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2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23652-w |
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| author | Liyan Huang Tianrong Xu Hong Ching Goh Rosli Said Hui Song Xinyu Zhang |
| author_facet | Liyan Huang Tianrong Xu Hong Ching Goh Rosli Said Hui Song Xinyu Zhang |
| author_sort | Liyan Huang |
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| description | Abstract Background The mental health of migrants living in the post-migration urban environment poses a significant public health challenge in both developed and developing economies. Few empirical studies attempted to disentangle the influence pathways that acculturation might produce the link between the residential environment and health effects. Methods Data from 385 migrants was collected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method from 25 communities in Yiwu, China. We used a multi-level regression model and conditional process analysis to examine the health effects of the perceived neighbourhood environment and influence pathways of acculturation. Results The results found that participants’ mental health was moderate (mean = 15.9 out of 24). Migrants residing in relocation neighbourhoods and factory dormitories exhibit significantly lower mental health. The neighbourhood effects of migrant-dominated, local-dominated, and mixed residential neighbourhoods contribute positively to migrants’ mental health. Neighbourhood physical environment positively affects mental health, whereas the neighbourhood social environment negatively affects mental health. Moreover, EGS (βindirect=-0.04, BootLLCI=-0.096, BootULCI=-0.002) and NSC (βindirect=-0.038, BootLLCI=-0.081, BootULCI=-0.007) impact migrants’ mental health through the mechanism of acculturative stress. Migrants in the assimilation group experienced reduced acculturative stress as the NFA (β=-0.377, p = 0.035) improved. In contrast, those in the separation group faced increased acculturative stress as the improvements of NFA (β = 0.392, p = 0.05) and EGS (β = 0.809, p = 0.027). Conclusions These findings suggest that future public health intervention strategies should be considered for improved neighbourhood environments, promoted residential integration, alleviated acculturative stress and prioritised acculturation strategies to enhance rural migrants’ mental health. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-bc25bb9925ed44e791e93a56504b8ef72025-08-20T03:06:39ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-07-0125111910.1186/s12889-025-23652-wFinding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in ChinaLiyan Huang0Tianrong Xu1Hong Ching Goh2Rosli Said3Hui Song4Xinyu Zhang5Centre for Sustainable Urban Planning & Real Estate (SUPRE), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti MalayaSchool of Accessibility Management, Nanjing Normal University of Special EducationCentre for Sustainable Urban Planning & Real Estate (SUPRE), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti MalayaCentre for Sustainable Urban Planning & Real Estate (SUPRE), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti MalayaSchool of Management, Suzhou UniversityCollege of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry UniversityAbstract Background The mental health of migrants living in the post-migration urban environment poses a significant public health challenge in both developed and developing economies. Few empirical studies attempted to disentangle the influence pathways that acculturation might produce the link between the residential environment and health effects. Methods Data from 385 migrants was collected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method from 25 communities in Yiwu, China. We used a multi-level regression model and conditional process analysis to examine the health effects of the perceived neighbourhood environment and influence pathways of acculturation. Results The results found that participants’ mental health was moderate (mean = 15.9 out of 24). Migrants residing in relocation neighbourhoods and factory dormitories exhibit significantly lower mental health. The neighbourhood effects of migrant-dominated, local-dominated, and mixed residential neighbourhoods contribute positively to migrants’ mental health. Neighbourhood physical environment positively affects mental health, whereas the neighbourhood social environment negatively affects mental health. Moreover, EGS (βindirect=-0.04, BootLLCI=-0.096, BootULCI=-0.002) and NSC (βindirect=-0.038, BootLLCI=-0.081, BootULCI=-0.007) impact migrants’ mental health through the mechanism of acculturative stress. Migrants in the assimilation group experienced reduced acculturative stress as the NFA (β=-0.377, p = 0.035) improved. In contrast, those in the separation group faced increased acculturative stress as the improvements of NFA (β = 0.392, p = 0.05) and EGS (β = 0.809, p = 0.027). Conclusions These findings suggest that future public health intervention strategies should be considered for improved neighbourhood environments, promoted residential integration, alleviated acculturative stress and prioritised acculturation strategies to enhance rural migrants’ mental health.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23652-wMental healthPerceived neighbourhood-level residential environmentRural-to-urban migrantsAcculturative stressAcculturation strategies |
| spellingShingle | Liyan Huang Tianrong Xu Hong Ching Goh Rosli Said Hui Song Xinyu Zhang Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China BMC Public Health Mental health Perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment Rural-to-urban migrants Acculturative stress Acculturation strategies |
| title | Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China |
| title_full | Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China |
| title_fullStr | Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China |
| title_short | Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China |
| title_sort | finding the link of acculturation the impact of perceived neighbourhood level residential environment on mental health among rural to urban migrants in china |
| topic | Mental health Perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment Rural-to-urban migrants Acculturative stress Acculturation strategies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23652-w |
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