Social Support and Health Services Use in People Aged over 65 Years Migrating within China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

<jats:p>Background: Due to the household registration system, Chinese elderly migrants have insufficient access to health services and social support. Thus, this study examined the use of health services, the access to social support, and the interaction among the elderly migrating within China. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey in 2015, adopting probability proportionate to size as the sampling strategy. Structural equation modeling and mediating effect tests were employed to explore the associations. Results: Approximately 45.9% of elderly migrants did not seek health services when needed. The use of outpatient and inpatient services was more common than free essential public health services. The use of health services was negatively associated with migrating duration and migrating for offspring, while it was positively associated with outer social support. The mediating effects of outer social support were discovered on the relationships between the use of health services and independent variables such as migrating duration and migrating for offspring, respectively. Conclusion: Elderly migrants with a longer migrating duration or migrated for offspring seem to obtain less outer social support, resulting in a decreased use of health services. Outer social support was suggested as a key effort to improve the equalization of health services in Chinese elderly migrants.</jats:p>

The Association between Social Integration and Utilization of Essential Public Health Services among Internal Migrants in China: A Multilevel Logistic Analysis

“…Having local health insurance could help migrants understand local health resources [ 36 ], including hospitals and community health services, which could improve people’s equal access to health services [ 37 ]. For sociocultural adaptation, local friends could provide social support to internal migrants and could help them be informed of local and useful health information, which is important for elderly and youth migrants to use health care services [ 10 , 25 , 38 , 39 ]. For self-identity, migrants with long-term willingness to settle were of higher possibility to participate in social activities [ 40 ].…”

The migrating mediators and the interaction associated with the use of essential public health services: a cross-sectional study in Chinese older migrants

“…Older migrants who migrated for offspring were likely to have better health status [ 4 ]. However, traditional Chinese parents always hold the obligation and priority in guardian roles, which may result in ignoring their health needs [ 8 ]. The findings shed light on the targeted policies towards the minorities migrated for employment or offspring.…”

“…“Health China 2030” strategy calls for integrating health into all policies, especially in protecting people’s health in all directions, entire life-cycle, and adhering to the goal of “health in all”. Compared with the studies on the use of health services among the general population, the issues on the older migrants await more exploration [ 7 , 8 ]. Extant studies focused on the indirect effects of migrating and household factors on the relationships between physical status and the use of EPHS, especially for improving the equalization of EPHS among older migrants.…”

Risk factors associated with loss to follow-up of breast cancer patients: A retrospective analysis

“…They might also receive a higher reimbursement rate. China has a unique social health insurance system in which patients might receive less reimbursement if they do not receive medical treatment in their own residence area [ 33 , 34 ]. As reported by Yao et al., local residents under a social health insurance scheme were more likely to seek medical attention when needed and leave a health record than patients who were outside of their area of residence [ 35 ].…”