How Does Adult Children Migration Affect Parental Health in Rural China: a Mediating Effect of Two-way Income Transfer

This study examines two-way income transfers to gauge how adult children migration affects the multidimensional health of the parents by using a mediation model. We focus on the two-way income transfer effects, which equal remittances from migrant children minus the economic supports that adult children receive from their parents, and discuss whether the impact on parental health of one-way income transfer from migrants is overstated. Results indicate that children migration increases net income transfers, but positive remittances cannot make up for the negative impact of labor loss from migration. Using self-assessment, physical and mental checks to ascertain the health of parents left behind, child migration exerts, in fact, a negative impact. Compared to the two-way income transfer, the positive effects on parental health of children's remittances may be overestimated, and the negative impact of child migration on parental health may be significantly underestimated. The findings indicate that two-way income transfers should be taken into consideration in examining this causal effect of migrant children on parental health.