Role of domestic migration stress in adapting precarious behaviours among interstate migrant workers in a semi-urban area of Tamil Nadu

BACKGROUND: Migration is a process in which a person moves from one cultural setting to another for a long period of time or permanently, which induces increased adaptation of risky behaviors due to migration stress. This study aimed to identify domestic migration stress and to determine its role in practising precarious behaviours among interstate migrant workers. METHODOLOGY: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 313 migrant workers in the Kanchipuram district using a simple random sampling method for recruitment. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data with details on socio-demographic characteristics and precarious behavior profiles, and the ‘domestic migration stress scale’ was validated. For analysis, variables were described using frequencies, proportions and mean ± standard deviation, appropriately. Inferential statistics like the ‘Chi-square test and multiple logistic regressions’ were performed to establish the relationship between migration stress and high-risk behavior. RESULTS: Among respondents, 286 (91.37%) were males. The majority were chronic alcoholics [151 (48.56%)], followed by tobacco chewers [106 (33.86%)], chronic smokers [83 (26.51%)], had illicit sexual activity [59 (18.84%)] and drug abusers [4 (1.27%)]. About 247 (78.93%) were under domestic migration stress. Smokers, tobacco chewers and those involved in illicit sexual activity were significant predictor factors. CONCLUSION: Stress management is paramount, and having the knowledge about their precarious behavior and stress among workers will help in the further development of health promotion strategies for migrant workers.