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

Abstract

Background Despite the incremental implementation of the essential public health services (EPHS) during the last decade, the goal of EPHS’s equalization is impossible to cannot be achieved without appropriate policies targeting older migrants. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether the supply side meets the needs of older migrants and to explore the relationships among health status, the use of health services, and diverse factors. Methods The data were derived from a national cross-sectional dataset (N = 11,161) of the 2015 Chinese Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey. Mediating effects analysis and moderating effects analysis were conducted to explore the interactions between physical status and the use of EPHS in older migrants such as physical examination, health record, and follow-up services. Results The use of physical examination, health record, and follow-up services were correlated with each other. Household income, migrating for employment, and migrating for offspring were negatively associated with the use of EPHS. A positive association was observed between the use of EPHS and willingness for long-stay. The mediating effects of household income, migrating for employment, migrating for offspring, and willingness for long-stay were observed on the relationship between physical status and the use of EPHS. The moderating effects of household income and migrating for employment were discovered. Conclusion Public health policies that may be worthy of consideration include further enhancing the delivery capacity of primary health institutions, integrating professional clinical resources into the primary health system, and launching the target policies to improve the accessibility of EPHS in older migrants.

Association Between Intergenerational Support, Social Integration, and Subjective Well-Being Among Migrant Elderly Following Children in Jinan, China

“…Specifically, the mental state and emotional needs of the MEFCs would be influenced due to the change of living conditions and social integration (4,7). Unfortunately, MEFCs had obstacles in accessing local health care services because they were unfamiliar with the local medical institutions (8). In addition, considering the high costs and inconvenience in obtaining insurance reimbursement, MEFCs might be limited to access the health care services (9).…”

Effects of Living Conditions, Subjective Integration, and Social Networks on Health-Related Quality of Life among the Migrant Elderly Following Children in Jinan, China

“…As a result, the number of the migrant elderly reached 13.04 million in 2015, accounting for 5.3% of the total migrant population [ 2 ]. This redistribution of the elderly population brought some public health challenges, such as poor health outcomes [ 4 ], transmission of infectious diseases [ 5 , 6 ], inequalities in using essential public health services [ 7 ], and excessive growth of urban medical expenses [ 8 ]. Consequently, the health status of MEFC is a key issue worthy of attention.…”

Impact of public health education on the health status of the older migrant population

“…We also considered personal characteristics like gender, age, ethnicity, and education level; family characteristics like average monthly income, duration of migration, scope of migration, and number of children; and participation in medical insurance and establishment of health records. These characteristics and conditions were included in the regression model as control variables affecting health status ( 19 , 20 ).…”