Differential outcomes of psychosocial development among local and mobile children in two school types in Beijing and Shanghai

Background: Adjustment of rural-to-urban migration in China is a challenge to mobile children and after-school activities can be an important resource to children’s development of social support and resilience. Objective: This study compared levels of social support and resilience of children with different migration status and school type. The influence of after-school activities on social support and resilience was examined simultaneously with the effect of school type. Study group: A sample of 925 junior secondary 1–3 students from three Beijing and one Shanghai middle schools. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, using a self-administered questionnaire covering areas of gender, age, school type, migration status, after-school activities participation, and psychosocial measures on resilience and social support. Results: One-way ANOVA showed that levels of social support and resilience were lower in mobile children and children studying in migrant schools. Multiple regression analyses identified several multivariately adjusted predictors of social support and resilience, including positive predictors of talking to parents and homework/studying and a negative predictor of electronic/online games. The grouping by activity interaction identified also suggested differential effects of activities on resilience and social support in the children. Conclusions: After school education programs for mobile children are crucial to their positive adjustment in order to produce better development outcomes for urban living. Programmatic activities for mobile children should promote interaction with parents and studying, and prevent or minimize the opportunity to play electronic/online games.