Spatial mobility and large-scale resource extraction: An analysis of community well-being and health in a copper mining area of Zambia

Abstract We examine population mobility around a newly-developed large-scale copper mine in Zambia and analyse how socioeconomic and health indicators differed amongst migrants, resettled households, and non-mobile local (e.g. non-migrant/-resettled) populations. Two cross-sectional household surveys in 2015 and 2019 collected quantitative data on health, socioeconomic indicators, and resettlement and migration status. A wealth index for the pooled sample (N = 990 households) was computed using a simplified list of household assets adapted from the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression models were conducted to assess associations with health outcomes. In-migrants were younger than non-mobile locals (mean age of household head 33.9 vs. 37.7 years), more highly educated (34.3% of household heads completed secondary school vs. 7.3%), had higher employment (43.8% vs. 15.8%), and higher mean wealth (3.6 vs. 3.0). The odds of having a child