Climate-driven migration: an exploratory case study of Maasai health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors
Abstract
Objectives By 2050, over 250 million people will be displaced from their homes by climate change. This exploratory case study examines how climate-driven migration impacts the health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of Maasai in Tanzania. Increasing frequency and intensity of drought is killing livestock, forcing Maasai to migrate from their rural homelands to urban centers in search of ways to support their families. Little existing research investigates how this migration changes the way migrants think about health and make healthcare decisions. Methods This study used semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore migrant and non-migrant beliefs surrounding health and healthcare. Migrant and non-migrant participants were matched on demographic characteristics and location. Results Migrants emphasized the importance of mental health in their overall health perceptions, whereas non-migrants emphasized physical health. Although non-migrants perceived more barriers to accessing healthcare, migrant and non-migrant help-seeking behaviors were similar in that they only sought help for physical health problems, and utilized hospitals as a last option. Conclusions These findings have implications for improving Maasai healthcare utilization, and for future research targeting other climate-driven migrant populations in the world.
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A study exploring health perceptions in climate-driven migrants found that emphasis was placed on the importance of mental health.
“Finally, a study exploring health perceptions in climate-driven migrants found that emphasis was placed on the importance of mental health, indicating that mental health interventions could be effective in this population [91].”
From Climate Change and Mental Health: A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [91]
Mental health interventions could be effective in climate-driven migrants.
“Finally, a study exploring health perceptions in climate-driven migrants found that emphasis was placed on the importance of mental health, indicating that mental health interventions could be effective in this population [91].”
From Climate Change and Mental Health: A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [91]
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- Authors
- Heaney, A. K., & Winter, S. J.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Heaney, Alexandra K.
- Venue
- International Journal of Public Health
- Published
- 2015-11-09
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 641-649
- ISSN
- 1661-8556 (ISSN-L)
- 1661-8564
- OpenAlex
- W2192267511
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 3.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- International Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Stanford University Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) major grant
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration, Identity, and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
- Keywords
- climate-induced migration, Maasai, health perception, help-seeking, mental health, drought, livestock losses, rural-urban migration, barriers to care, health care utilization, climate-induced displacement
- MeSH terms
- Help-Seeking Behavior, Emigration and Immigration, Employment, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Male, Rural Population, Socioeconomic Factors, Tanzania, Urban Population, Health Behavior, Organizational Case Studies, Qualitative Research, Black People, Climate Change
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