The Determinants of Health Quality among Internal Migrants in Bangladesh

Md Sirajul Islam; Sabiha Afrin; Abu Shofiun Mohammad Taj Uddin

doi:10.46923/ijets.v7i1.465

Md Sirajul Islam West Virginia University, Morgantown, United States
Sabiha Afrin Begum Badrunnessa Govt. Girls’ College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abu Shofiun Mohammad Taj Uddin West Virginia University, Morgantown, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46923/ijets.v7i1.465

Keywords: Internal Migration, Bangladesh, Health, Social Support, Occupation, Environment.

Abstract

Internal migration is a widespread phenomenon in Bangladesh, driven by social, economic, and environmental factors. This movement has profound implications for health and well-being among migratory populations. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors associated with perceiving quality of health among individuals who have migrated within Bangladesh, focusing on social support, education, food availability, occupation, and environmental conditions. Data were collected from the Bangladesh Environment and Migration Survey (BEMS), which involved 1,754 migratory families. The analyses were conducted utilizing Stata software with weighted data and the chi-squared test. The study found that the majority of the respondents perceived quality health after migration. Most migrants reported good health after receiving emotional and social support from the community, particularly those with a better educational background or who did not experience an improvement in their health status after migration. Bivariate chi-square analyses revealed that professional occupations reported the highest quality of health perceived compared to other occupations (p < .001). Regarding environmental aspects, both the perceived quality of health and health experiences changed, regardless of cyclone severity. Contrary to common belief, this study finds a weaker relationship between education, food shortages, or social support and the quality of health after migration. These findings have important implications for understanding perceived quality of health, suggesting that other factors associated with the control variables may play a more significant role. A major limitation of this study is the use of cross-sectional data, which restricts the ability to infer causal relationships between migration and perceived quality of health.

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