Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers

This study utilized the concept of social right to understand factors affecting migrant workers’ health and healthcare in China. Using mixed methods, this study integrated findings from a survey of 817 migrant workers and a follow-up study of 30 intensive interviews to present an in-depth understand...

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Autores principales: Fengxian Qiu, Jing Liu, Heying Jenny Zhan
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/7ecb2abcc286451da6b92ea933bfb38c
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:7ecb2abcc286451da6b92ea933bfb38c2021-11-25T19:00:29ZMigration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers10.3390/su1322123712071-1050https://doaj.org/article/7ecb2abcc286451da6b92ea933bfb38c2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/22/12371https://doaj.org/toc/2071-1050This study utilized the concept of social right to understand factors affecting migrant workers’ health and healthcare in China. Using mixed methods, this study integrated findings from a survey of 817 migrant workers and a follow-up study of 30 intensive interviews to present an in-depth understanding of cumulative disadvantage of health and healthcare of rural-to-urban migrant workers. Our quantitative results indicated that migrant workers with no more than 5 years of working experience and having a good relationship with employers were 65% and 72.8% more likely to report good self-rated health as compared to their counterparts; those with work-related injury experience and low income were 41.6% and 53.6% less likely to report good self-rated health. Qualitative findings revealed the social contexts of the cumulative effect of the length of work experience and fear of medical cost on migrant workers’ declining health. Even though the participation rate for health insurance in China is reported to be over 99%, the lack of portability in health insurance and different reimbursement rates in health care access are structural barriers in health-seeking behaviors among Chinese migrant workers and in establishing sustainability in China’s healthcare system. This study adds to the literature by delineating the process of the unequal access to social rights in general, healthcare in particular as the major explanation for migrant workers’ poor health beyond the surface of China’s universal healthcare.Fengxian QiuJing LiuHeying Jenny ZhanMDPI AGarticlemigrant workershealthhealthcaremedical costhealth insurancehealthcare portabilityEnvironmental effects of industries and plantsTD194-195Renewable energy sourcesTJ807-830Environmental sciencesGE1-350ENSustainability, Vol 13, Iss 12371, p 12371 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic migrant workers
health
healthcare
medical cost
health insurance
healthcare portability
Environmental effects of industries and plants
TD194-195
Renewable energy sources
TJ807-830
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
spellingShingle migrant workers
health
healthcare
medical cost
health insurance
healthcare portability
Environmental effects of industries and plants
TD194-195
Renewable energy sources
TJ807-830
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Fengxian Qiu
Jing Liu
Heying Jenny Zhan
Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
description This study utilized the concept of social right to understand factors affecting migrant workers’ health and healthcare in China. Using mixed methods, this study integrated findings from a survey of 817 migrant workers and a follow-up study of 30 intensive interviews to present an in-depth understanding of cumulative disadvantage of health and healthcare of rural-to-urban migrant workers. Our quantitative results indicated that migrant workers with no more than 5 years of working experience and having a good relationship with employers were 65% and 72.8% more likely to report good self-rated health as compared to their counterparts; those with work-related injury experience and low income were 41.6% and 53.6% less likely to report good self-rated health. Qualitative findings revealed the social contexts of the cumulative effect of the length of work experience and fear of medical cost on migrant workers’ declining health. Even though the participation rate for health insurance in China is reported to be over 99%, the lack of portability in health insurance and different reimbursement rates in health care access are structural barriers in health-seeking behaviors among Chinese migrant workers and in establishing sustainability in China’s healthcare system. This study adds to the literature by delineating the process of the unequal access to social rights in general, healthcare in particular as the major explanation for migrant workers’ poor health beyond the surface of China’s universal healthcare.
format article
author Fengxian Qiu
Jing Liu
Heying Jenny Zhan
author_facet Fengxian Qiu
Jing Liu
Heying Jenny Zhan
author_sort Fengxian Qiu
title Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
title_short Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
title_full Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
title_fullStr Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
title_full_unstemmed Migration and Health—Freedom of Movement and Social Benefits for Chinese Migrant Workers
title_sort migration and health—freedom of movement and social benefits for chinese migrant workers
publisher MDPI AG
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/7ecb2abcc286451da6b92ea933bfb38c
work_keys_str_mv AT fengxianqiu migrationandhealthfreedomofmovementandsocialbenefitsforchinesemigrantworkers
AT jingliu migrationandhealthfreedomofmovementandsocialbenefitsforchinesemigrantworkers
AT heyingjennyzhan migrationandhealthfreedomofmovementandsocialbenefitsforchinesemigrantworkers
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