The social integration-health nexus for elderly migrants: evidence from China migrants dynamic survey

As global aging accelerates, the health of vulnerable of older migrants has become a critical public health priority. Using the data from 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), this paper examines the impact of multi-dimensional social integration on the health outcomes of older migrants in China and explores the mediating mechanisms of social support, acceptance, and discrimination. The results show that social integration significantly improves self-rated health (SRH) among older migrants, although no statistically significant effect on the prevalence of chronic diseases was observed. Economic integration demonstrated the strongest positive effect on SRH, followed by behavioral adaptation, institutional integration, and psychological integration, while cultural acceptance had the weakest impact. The benefits of social integration were the most pronounced among individuals aged 65–69, those with a primary or secondary education, and those with a migration duration for 5–10 years. Further analysis indicates that social integration promotes SRH by increasing social support and social acceptance while reducing social perceived social discrimination. These findings provide valuable policy insights for improving the health and well-being of elderly migrants and contribute to the broader discussion on migrant social integration.