Emptying villages, overflowing glasses: Out-migration and drinking patterns in Rural China

Rural-urban migration is a significant phenomenon in China, resulting in family separation and the emergence of left-behind populations in rural communities. Previous research suggests that migration can influence health behaviors through various pathways. However, limited empirical studies have examined the effects of migration on the drinking behavior of adults left behind. Moreover, the impact of migration at the household and community levels remains unclear.

This study analyzes the relationship between migration and drinking behavior in rural China with data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS 1997-2015) (N = 20,264). Multilevel mixed-effects models are employed to test how household and community levels migration status affects rural residents' weekly alcohol intake.

Weekly alcohol intake would increase by 7.51 g (SE = 2.976, p = 0.012) for men and 0.98 g (SE = 0.419, p = 0.019) for women in families whose members have moved out, while the influence of household migration was no longer significant after controlling for community-level effects. One percentage change in community migration rates would increase men's alcohol intake by 0.6319 g (SE = 26.494, p = 0.017) and women's by 0.0823 g (SE = 2.394, p = 0.001).

Our study emphasizes the importance of considering migration at different levels of analysis. The findings indicate that out-migration is associated with increased alcohol consumption among left-behind adults in rural China. Intervention policies should also consider the unique neighborhood relations in rural China, potentially leveraging social ties within rural communities to spread health awareness and reduce alcohol consumption.