The Effect of Parental Social Integration on the Physical Examination Utilization for Young Migrant Children: A National Cross-Sectional Study in China

Abstract

Purpose: Physical examination is a key component of child health management. Migrant children are a vulnerable group with lower healthcare service utilization, and this study aims to explore the effect of parental social integration on the physical examination service utilization for young migrant children under 6 years old in China.Method: This study conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2014 National Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey in China. A total of 2,620 participants were included in this study. A total of 22 indicators were selected to measure social integration. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the association between parental social integration and physical examination use of young migrant children.Results: More than half (66.4%) of the migrant children aged 0–6 years had used free physical examination. Parental social integration, especially structural integration, was associated with the physical examination utilization of migrant children. Specifically, those migrant children's parents who had medical insurance (P < 0.05; OR = 1.29), who had participated in local activities (P < 0.001; OR = 1.98), who had registered local residents as neighbors (P < 0.05; OR = 1.34), and who had a deep sense of self-identity (P < 0.05; OR = 1.09) were more likely to take children to use physical examination.Conclusions: This study provided evidence that parental social integration was associated with migrant children's physical examination utilization, and this association was multifaceted, lying in the dimensions of economic, structural, and psychological integration. Improving the social integration of migrant parents would be effective to enhance the migrant children's healthcare service utilization.

Editorial: Utilization of healthcare services for children in low and middle-income countries: Its determinants and child health outcomes

“…Two studies focused on identifying the social determinant of healthcare utilization using data from nationally representative health surveys in India and China ( 4 , 5 ). Specifically, using the fourth round of National Family Health Survey data, Madhumita and Soumitra ( 4 ) highlighted the disparities in maternal and child healthcare (MCH) among disadvantaged and advanced social groups in three states of India.…”

“…Limited accessibility and poor infrastructure came out as other barriers to the under-utilization of these healthcare services. However, Jing et al focused on assessing the effect of parental social integration on the physical examination service utilization for young migrant children in China using the 2014 National Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey ( 5 ). Using four different dimensions of social integration, the authors found that parental social integration was associated with migrant children's physical examination utilization.…”

Elevated levels of loneliness in migrant children compared to nonmigrant children in urban China: a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies

“…Both RUMC and UUMC are unable to enjoy social services in cities to the same extent as children with local urban Hukou [8]. This disadvantage manifests as limited access to public school education, medical insurance, and benefits typically available to children with local urban residency [7,9,10]. As an illustration, in 2021, only 43.7% of RUMC in China, who were within the nine-year compulsory education age group, were receiving education in public schools in their destination cities [11 && ].…”