The chain mediation model of social support and life satisfaction among migrant older adults with children: The role of mental health and sleep quality

•Life satisfaction of migrant older adults with children (MOAC) was relatively high.•Social support direct effect life satisfaction of MOAC.•Mental health and sleep quality partially mediated the above association. Few studies have examined the life satisfaction of migrant older adults with children (MOAC), who emerged due to rapid urbanization and population aging in China. This study aimed to explore the chain mediating effect of mental health and sleep quality on the association between social support and life satisfaction among MOAC in Weifang, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using multi-stage cluster random sampling, and 613 participants were included. The Social Support Rating Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Scale with Life Satisfaction were used to measure the social support, mental health, sleep quality, and life satisfaction of MOAC, respectively. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA were used to explore the relationship between sociodemographic variables and life satisfaction. Pearson's correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted to investigate the association between social support, mental health, sleep quality, and life satisfaction. The mean total SWLS score was 27.87±5.58. SEM analysis demonstrated that social support had a positive effect on life satisfaction (β= 0.197). Mental health and sleep quality partially mediated the association between social support and life satisfaction (95% CI: 0.083–0.193), and the mediating effect accounted for 39.198% of the total effect. Life satisfaction was relatively high, and mental health and sleep quality partially mediated the association between social support and life satisfaction. Policy suggestions were provided based on these results.