The Conversation: Moving for work — the hidden health impacts of SA’s urban migration
Migration can improve livelihoods without uniformly harming health, researchers find, but urban diets, obesity and blood pressure risks highlight the need for mobile healthcare planning.
The Conversation: Moving for work — the hidden health impacts of SA’s urban migration
Migration within South Africa can improve livelihoods, but it can also carry hidden health risks, according to a new study. Young adults in the country often move between rural homes, towns and cities for work or education. The Migrant Health Follow-Up Study, led by researchers from the South African Medical Research Council/Wits Agincourt Unit and Brown University, tracked the health of about 3,000 young adults aged 18 to 40 from the Agincourt subdistrict in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
The study found that migration is common in South Africa, with one-third of participants living continuously outside the Agincourt area, while others had more dynamic movement patterns. Migrants generally had higher education levels and fewer chronic conditions than those who remained at home, and they appeared to be more resilient. However, the study also revealed potential health risks associated with urban living, such as increased consumption of processed food and higher rates of abdominal obesity among migrants.
The findings suggest that migration policies should balance the benefits of urbanisation with the need to address health risks that can accompany movement. Policies should focus on reducing health risks while recognising the opportunities migration can create for economic inclusion and access to services.
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