Study of migration and later life health in Nepal

PURPOSE: This study investigates long-term consequences of individual migration experience on later life health, specifically self-rated health and functional difficulty. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study uses multiple community-, household-, and individual-level data sets from the Chitwan Valley Family Study (CVFS) in Nepal. The CVFS selected a systematic probability sample of 151 neighborhoods in Western Chitwan and collected information on all households and individuals residing in the selected sample neighborhoods. This study uses data from multiple surveys featuring detailed migration histories of 1,373 older adults, and information on their health outcomes, households, and communities. FINDINGS: Results of the multi-level multivariate analysis show a negative association between number of years of migration experience and self-rated health, and a positive association between migration and functional difficulty. These findings suggest a negative relationship between migration experience and later life health. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Although we collected health outcome measures after the measurement of explanatory and control measures—a unique strength of this study—we were unable to control for baseline health outcomes. Also, due to the lack of time-varying measures of household socioeconomic status in the survey, this investigation was unable to control for measures associated with the economic prosperity hypothesis. Future research is necessary to develop panel data with appropriately timed measures. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings provide important insights that may help shape individual's and their family's migration decisions. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This research provides important insight to individuals lured by potential short-term economic prospects in destination places, as well as to scholars and policy makers from migrant-sending settings that are grappling with skyrocketing medical expenses, rapid population aging, and old age security services.