Residential mobility and the health of families with young children in Wales

Families with infants and young children in the UK have high rates of residential mobility in comparison to other population groups. Relatively little is known however about the implications of mobility for the well being of families with young children in Wales or for policy makers providing services to them. The limited research available suggests that while people that move home in the UK overall demonstrate ‘healthy migrant’ effects mobile families with young children are an exception to this pattern and at risk of poor health outcomes.

The intention of this study is to build on current knowledge of the relationships between mobility and health among families of young children in several ways. It will firstly produce a detailed assessment of the relationship between the mobility and health, socio-demographic characteristics and service use among families with young children in the UK. Secondly, it will compare these relationships between the countries and regions of the UK.* *Thirdly, the study will consider how residential mobility between the countries and regions of the UK impacts upon the geographical distribution of health outcomes and service needs of families with young children. The project is based upon quantitative secondary analysis of three large scale data sets: the /Millennium Cohort Study/, /Living in Wales /and the /Welsh Health Survey/."