Journal Article

The association between social integration and utilization of primary health care among migrants in China: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Bai, Yang, Zhu, Jingmin, Wang, Xueyao, Liu, Jue, Wang, Jun

2023

Overview

Background Migrants is a large population in China. To improve the health and wellbeing of migrants is a critical policy and social issue in China, and to enhance the utilization of primary health care by migrants is one of the most important approaches in promoting equity in health. However, there exists little research about the association between social integration and the utilization of primary health care. To address the research gap, this research aims at exploring the relation between social integration and the utilization of primary health care among migrants in China. Methods Using the national data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) in 2017, 169,989 migrants were included in this study. Social integration was measured by social communication, acculturation and self-identity, with 8 indicators. The utilization of primary health care was measured by the receiving of health education on infectious diseases (ID) and noncommunicable diseases (NCD) as well as the first visit institution when migrants were sick. After the descriptive statistical analysis, binary logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association between social integration and the utilization of primary health care. Results 65.99% of the migrants received health education on infectious diseases (ID), 40.11% of the migrants received health education on noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and 8.48% of the migrants chose to go to Community Health Center (CHC) seeking for health services. There was a positive effect of social organization participation, the influence of hometown customs, differences of hygiene habits between migrants and local people, integration willingness and evaluation of identity on the receiving of health education on ID and NCD, as well as a positive effect of civil activities engagement and differences of hygiene habits between migrants and local people on the utilization of CHC after getting sick. Conclusions Social integration was associated with the utilization of primary health care among migrants in China. Generally speaking, greater social integration was associated with higher possibility of receiving health education on ID and NCD. However, the effect of social integration on the utilization of CHC was more complex among different indicators. There should be more policy interventions to improve the social integration of migrant which help them to get familiar with the health resource available, as well as improve the capacity of CHC.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Acculturation / Communicable diseases / Communication / Community health services / Cross-sectional studies / Disease / Disease prevention / Economic aspects / Education / Equality and Human Rights / Habits / Health aspects / Health care / Health care facilities / Health care reform / Health education / Health facilities / Health Policy / Health promotion / Health Promotion and Disease Prevention / Health services / Health Services Research / Health services utilization / Hygiene / Identity / Immigrants / Immigration policy / Independent variables / Indicators / Infectious diseases / Integrated care / Integration / Medical care / Medical screening / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Migrants / Noncommunicable diseases / Prevention / Primary care / Primary health care / Psychological aspects / Public Health / Public services / Quantitative analysis / Questionnaires / Registration / Risk factors / Self concept / Sexually transmitted diseases / Social aspects / Social integration / Social Justice / Social networks / Social organization / Social participation / Social Policy / Sociodemographics / Statistical analysis / STD / Surveys / Tuberculosis / Utilization / Utilization of primary health care / Well being