During the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread migration from urban centers, known as “urban exodus,” occurred. In the context of pandemic-driven urban exodus, households with children emerged as notable migrants due to the spread of COVID-19. However, a research gap exists as to whether the spread of the infection affected changes in the migration destination determinants of households.

Dr. Haruka Kato, a junior associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University, examined the shifts in migration destination determinants of households with children who mentioned the spread of COVID-19 as a migration motive during the pandemic. This study adopted a life-course perspective of the shift from the pre-pandemic to the pandemic periods. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted to recruit participants.

Results revealed significant shifts that emphasized the importance of social interaction-related factors. The social interaction determinants included the favorability of communities, community ties, participants’ desire to return to their hometown, and proximity to acquaintances. Conversely, determinants linked to work, the living environment, and housing did not shift significantly to affected groups.

“It is time to use our shared knowledge to examine the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Dr. Kato. “This study’s findings suggest that households with children prioritized migration destinations that foster social interaction and enhance their overall appeal.”

The findings were published in Population, Space and Place.

Funding
Haruka Kato received funding from the Japan Science Society (2023-1001) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (24K17421).

Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

###

About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through the “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.