Young migrants' social/family support and their health in Shanghai, China (WAVE)

The Well-being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments is a six-city global study of young people in vulnerable environments with the goal of discovering ways to connect youth to health. The six study sites are the East Baltimore neighborhood of Baltimore, Md.; Johannesburg, South Africa; Shanghai, China; Delhi, India; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Ibadan, Nigeria. For the first phase of this study, researchers in each site used four different qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, photovoice, community mapping, and focus groups, to collect data from 15 – 19 year olds and the adults who work with young people on how young people view their communities including the health issues they see as well as the services and opportunities that exist in their communities. While the sites are located in very different environments, the similarities among the concerns young people have for their communities are striking.

In Shanghai, many of the young people in our study were young migrants. They spoke of their community concerns in terms of the physical ascpects of their community. They believed health concerns weren't as pressing as the pressure to work hard, the high cost of living and the lack of opportunities. Mental health was the most common health concern and premarital sex and unintended pregnancy were cited as common. Participants cite lack of family support am impacting health concerns.

The research points to importance of understanding community level structural and social characteristics in relation to the primary health risks faced by youth in vulnerable environments.