Next Article in Journal
Faculties to Support General Practitioners Working Rurally at Broader Scope: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Their Value
Next Article in Special Issue
“It’s What I Have, It’s Not Who I Am”: A Qualitative Study of Social Support in Education/Employment Settings and Transition Readiness of Young Adults with End-Stage Renal Disease
Previous Article in Journal
A 90 min Daytime Nap Opportunity Is Better Than 40 min for Cognitive and Physical Performance
Article

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

1
School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
2
School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(13), 4651; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134651
Received: 25 May 2020 / Revised: 19 June 2020 / Accepted: 25 June 2020 / Published: 28 June 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)
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. View Full-Text
Keywords: essential public health services; health behavior; health services utilization; elderly migrants; China essential public health services; health behavior; health services utilization; elderly migrants; China
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

MDPI and ACS Style

Long, C.; Wang, R.; Feng, D.; Ji, L.; Feng, Z.; Tang, S. Social Support and Health Services Use in People Aged over 65 Years Migrating within China: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 4651. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134651

AMA Style

Long C, Wang R, Feng D, Ji L, Feng Z, Tang S. Social Support and Health Services Use in People Aged over 65 Years Migrating within China: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(13):4651. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134651

Chicago/Turabian Style

Long, Chengxu, Ruoxi Wang, Da Feng, Lu Ji, Zhanchun Feng, and Shangfeng Tang. 2020. "Social Support and Health Services Use in People Aged over 65 Years Migrating within China: A Cross-Sectional Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 13: 4651. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134651

Find Other Styles
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Access Map by Country/Region

1
Back to TopTop