scholarly journals Health literacy and health outcomes in China’s floating population: mediating effects of health service

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-YanYu ◽  
Wei-Ling Wu ◽  
Lin-Wei Yu ◽  
Lei Wu

Abstract Background The floating population in China consists primarily of internal immigrants and represents a typical health vulnerable group. Poor health literacy has recently become an obstacle in the accessibility and utilization of health services for the vulnerable population, leading to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether health literacy affected health outcomes in China’s floating population and whether health service utilization had a mediating effect between health literacy and health outcomes. Method The current study utilized a cross-sectional stratified, multistage, proportional to scale (PPS) study in Zhejiang Province, China, in November and December 2019. In total, 657 valid self-reported questionnaires were recovered and used for data collection. Questionnaires included questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, health outcomes, and health service utilization. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test questionnaire validity; descriptive statistics were used to understand the demographic characteristics of the floating population; and structural equation modeling was used to determine whether health service utilization mediated health literacy and health outcomes. Results We report positive correlations between health literacy, health service utilization, and health outcomes. Mediation analysis demonstrated that health service utilization had partial mediating effects between health literacy and health outcomes. In the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes, the indirect effects of health service utilization accounted for 6.6–8.7% of the total effects. Conclusion Complete health literacy, through health care literacy and health promotion literacy, affects the mobile population’s initiative to use health services, which, in turn, affects health outcomes. Thus, improving the health literacy of the floating population will help to improve health outcomes. Furthermore, health service providers should enhance the diversity of health service supply to ensure that the floating population has the external resources to improve personal health literacy.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Yu ◽  
Wei-ling Wu ◽  
lin-wei Yu ◽  
Lei Wu

Abstract Background: The floating population in China consists primarily of internal immigrants and represents a typical health vulnerable group. Poor health literacy has recently become an obstacle in the accessibility and utilization of health services for the vulnerable population, leading to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether health literacy affected health outcomes in China’s floating population and whether health service utilization had a mediating effect between health literacy and health outcomes. Method: The current study utilized a cross-sectional stratified, multistage, proportional to scale (PPS) study in Zhejiang Province, China, in November and December 2019. In total, 657 valid self-reported questionnaires were recovered and used for data collection. Questionnaires included questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, health outcomes, and health service utilization. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test questionnaire validity; descriptive statistics were used to understand the demographic characteristics of the floating population; and structural equation modeling was used to determine whether health service utilization mediated health literacy and health outcomes. Results: We report positive correlations between health literacy, health service utilization, and health outcomes. Mediation analysis demonstrated that health service utilization had partial mediating effects between health literacy and health outcomes. In the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes, the indirect effects of health service utilization accounted for 6.6%–8.7% of the total effects. Conclusion: Complete health literacy, through health care literacy and health promotion literacy, affects the mobile population's initiative to use health services, which, in turn, affects health outcomes. Thus, improving the health literacy of the floating population will help to improve health outcomes. Furthermore, health service providers should enhance the diversity of health service supply to ensure that the floating population has the external resources to improve personal health literacy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Yu ◽  
Wei-ling Wu ◽  
Lei Wu ◽  
lin-wei Yu

Abstract Background: Health literacy is an important behavioral factor for promoting health and disease prevention. This study aimed to examine whether health literacy affected health outcomes in China’s floating population and whether health service utilization had a mediating effect between health literacy and health outcomes. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Zhejiang Province, China, in November and December 2019. Self-reported questionnaires were used for data collection, which included sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, health outcomes, and health service utilization. On the basis of reliability testing, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test questionnaire validity. Descriptive statistics were used to understand the demographic characteristics of the floating population, and structural equation modeling was used for the mediation test to check whether health service utilization had a mediating effect between health literacy and health outcomes. Results: There were positive correlations between health literacy, health service utilization, and health outcomes; correlation coefficients ranged from 0.165 to 0.944. Mediation analysis showed that health service utilization had partial mediating effects between health literacy and health outcomes. In the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes, the indirect effects of health service utilization accounted for 6.6%–8.7% of the total effects. Conclusion: Health service utilization has partial mediating effects between health literacy and health outcomes. Health literacy affects the proactiveness of health service utilization in the floating population through healthcare literacy and health promotion, thereby affecting health outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Arueira Chaves ◽  
Danielle Maria de Souza Serio dos Santos ◽  
Monica Rodrigues Campos ◽  
Vera Lucia Luiza

Abstract Background To guarantee the right to health, the health system must also ensure access to medicines. Several financial arrangements to provide these technologies are implemented and range from the direct (either total or partial) to indirect payment by the patient, being necessary to evaluate its effect on access to medicines. However, to ensure access to medicines is not just about ensuring its availability, as this only materializes in its use. Thus, evaluation studies of interventions in access to medicines have been using indicators related to the health results and use of health services as its outcomes. Furthermore, as this relationship is not direct, it is important to critically assess the adequacy of these tools to measure this phenomenon and, additionally, the ability to use it in the Brazilian scenario. Therefore, this study sought to identify, describe, and analyze the use of these indicators as medicine access outcomes, through a review of the scientific literature. Methods An extensive literature review was done using a bibliographic database for a systematic review. The references were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the indicators from the papers retained were analyzed using the parameters of validity, measurability, reliability, and relevance. Results We have analyzed over 12,000 references of which 30 references were included, describing the use of 49 health outcomes and health service use indicators. The majority reported the use of health service utilization measures. In our evaluation, the best indicators for assessing the effects of co-payment intervention on access are the ones aimed at specific populations or symptomatic health conditions in which the response to the therapeutic treatment is known and occurs in a short period of time. It was evident the lack of information on the indicators analyzed as well as the limitation of the Brazilian secondary databases for its calculation. Conclusions This research showed the variety and heterogeneity of the indicators used in scientific studies. The best indicators for access to medicines are sought to measure the use of health services for symptomatic health conditions that are quickly responsive to pharmacological treatment, while the indicators related to worker productivity loss was the most suitable for health outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Tewachew Muche Liyeh ◽  
Yitayal Ayalew Goshu ◽  
Habtamu Gebrehana Belay ◽  
Habtamu Abie Tasew ◽  
Gedefaye Nibret Mihiretie ◽  
...  

Introduction. Youth is a decisive age to shape the direction of their life and that of their family. However, due to the host of biological, social, and economic factors, adolescent females can be at high risk of adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Therefore, assessing youth reproductive service utilization and associated factors among female night students is very crucial for timely intervention to their gaps. Method. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Amhara region among 2,050 female night students from September 15 to November 15, 2018. A self-administered pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the strength of association between predictor and outcome variables. P value less than or equal to 0.05 is considered as the level of significance. Results. Out of the total respondents, about 54.6%(CI: 52.5%-56.8%) of them utilized reproductive health services. Respondents who were attending secondary education ( AOR = 2.55 , 95 % CI = 1.97 ‐ 5.62 ), attitude towards youth reproductive health services ( AOR = 2.74 , 95 % CI = 2.07 ‐ 5.30 ), those who had a habit of communicating on sexual and reproductive health issues with their family ( AOR = 3.66 , 95 % CI = 3.59 ‐ 7.41 ), discussion on sexual and reproductive health issue with peers/friends ( AOR = 1.43 , 95 % CI = 1.01 ‐ 2.02 ), respondents with good knowledge on youth reproductive health services ( AOR = 2.03 , 95 % CI = 1.49 ‐ 2.75 ), and those who had faced reproductive health problems ( AOR = 2.03 , 95 % CI = 1.49 ‐ 2.75 ) were significantly associated with youth reproductive health service utilization. Conclusion. Youth reproductive health service utilization among female night students was not satisfactory. Therefore, special focus should be given to female night students by providing accessible, acceptable, confidential, flexible, and friendly reproductive health service utilization. Finally, community health promotion and education are mandatory to promote the practice of discussing youth reproductive health issues with their children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Gupta ◽  
S Tomar ◽  
A Dey ◽  
D Chandurkar

Abstract Given the high Neo-natal mortality in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, an emphasis has been given to community health workers (CHW). CHW provides behavior push to pregnant women for utilizing health services, through the strategies of household contact and messaging. However, the disparity in health outcomes and interaction of CHW is profoundly affected by socio-economic determinants; still, the evidence is limited. This study aims to explore socio-economic inequities in quantity and quality of contacts by the CHW and its differential effect on health service utilization. Multistage sampling design identified live births in the last 12 months across the 25 highest-risk districts of Uttar Pradesh(n = 3703). Regression models described the relation between household demographics and CHW contact & specific messaging and interactions of demographics and CHW contact & messaging in predicting health service utilization ( > = 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits, Institutional delivery and 100 iron folic acid (IFA) consumption). No differential likelihood in contact of CHW and specific messaging is found. Further, association of CHW contacts and specific messaging with health outcomes were significantly affected by socio-economic determinants.2 or more contacts along with specific messaging increased the odds of 4+ ANC to a higher degree among illiterate women compared to literate women(AOR:3.39, 95% CI:2.28-5.04 vs AOR:1.44, 95% CI:1.09-1.92). Similarly, the odds of facility delivery increased to a higher degree among lower wealth women compared to higher wealth women (AOR:3.41, 95% CI:2.47-4.71 vs. AOR:1.53, 95% CI: 1.09-2.15). Specific messaging, along with CHW contacts, have a higher magnitude of effects on the marginalized population. This study provides evidence for adjusting implementation strategies based on socio-economic determinants to achieve equitable health service utilization. However, further research on training of CHW on heterogeneous interaction is recommended Key messages There exists differential effects of quantity and quality of contact by community health workers on health service utilization across the different socio-economic strata. Implementation agencies in the LMIC can reduce health inequity by shifting from coverage-oriented target approach towards more prioritized and focused interaction across socio-economic groups.


2014 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond L. Ownby ◽  
Amarilis Acevedo ◽  
Robin J. Jacobs ◽  
Joshua Caballero ◽  
Drenna Waldrop-Valverde

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Ganahl ◽  
H Weishaar ◽  
D Vogt ◽  
J Pelikan ◽  
D Schaeffer ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laxman Datt Bhatt ◽  
Shankar Singh Dhami

Abstract Background Nepal's Interim Constitution of 2007 addresses health as a fundamental right, stating that every citizen has the right to basic health services free of cost. Government of Nepal formed a Social Health Security Development Committee as a legal framework to start implementing a social health security scheme after the National Health Insurance Policy came out in 2013. The program has aimed to increase the access of health services to the poor and the marginalized, and people in hard to reach areas of the country, though challenges remain with financing. Several aspects should be considered in design, learning from earlier community-based health insurance schemes that suffered from low enrollment and retention of members as well as from a pro-rich bias.Method A community based cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in Baglung district of Nepal to find out and compare the health service utilization and direct out-of-pocket health care expenditure among the 225 insured and 225 uninsured households under the national health insurance program of Nepal. Insured households were randomly chosen from study area and uninsured households were selected by using neighborhood method.Result The study focused that insurance status was strongly associated with heath service utilization with odds ratio 1.774 (95% CI = 1.127-2.791, P = 0.013). The study also depicts that insurance status was major determinants of out of pocket health expenditure. The median out-of-pocket health expenditure among insured households Nepalese Rupees 200 while among uninsured was 1225, which was statistically significant (p = <0.001 MW-U test). Among uninsured group, non-dalit were 2.846 times more likely to utilize health services compared to the dalit (p = 0.003) but it was not significant (p = 0.47) among insured group.Conclusion Nepal’s Health Insurance Board is responsible for purchasing the quality health care service and make available at possible nearest point of its member. Our study reveals that Occupation, perceived health status, wealth status played significant role with health service utilization among uninsured group while it was not significant among insured group. Among both insured and uninsured group none of the study variables were found significant with out-of-pocket health expenditure.


Salmand ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-427
Author(s):  
Maryam Tajvar ◽  
◽  
Mehdi Yaseri ◽  
Badriye Karami ◽  
Mariya Mohammadi ◽  
...  

Objectives: Considering the rapid growth of Iran’s elderly population with consequent increase in the costs of health services, it is necessary to be aware of the pattern of outpatient health service utilization, in the elderly for resource allocation and health planning. This study aims to determine the pattern of outpatient service utilization for the elderly in Iran and explore determinant factors. Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional study using secondary analysis method and the data from 2015 National Study of Health Service Utilization. Study population consists of older people aged ≥60 years. Of these, 8205 were selected as study samples. The data were collected using personal and household questionnaires collecting information on subjects’ need for, referral to, utilization from, and satisfaction with outpatient services. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to the need, referral, benefit, and satisfaction with the received outpatient services. Results: Out of 8205 participants, 3172 (39%) reported the need for outpatient services, of which 66% referred for services; of these, 98% (N=2060) benefited outpatient services. Females, older subjects, villagers, unmarried and illiterate subjects were more in need of outpatient services, but their referrals to receive the services were not more than those of other groups. Lack of basic insurance, supplementary insurance, and a personal care had a significant impact on reducing the number of subjects referred to receive outpatient services. Inability to pay treatment costs (30%), self-treatment (28%) and lack of proper insurance coverage (13%) were the most important reasons for not referring to receive outpatient services. The highest satisfaction was related to the behavior of physicians and medical staff and the lowest satisfaction was related to the cost of outpatient services. Conclusion: Although the use of outpatient health services should be based on the need for these services, the present study showed that the older people with higher socio-economic status had higher utilization from the services in Iran. Therefore, there is an inequality in access to outpatient services in the elderly. The reasons for not using outpatient services and dissatisfaction with these services should be seriously considered by health policy makers.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document