Why informally employed Chinese women do not go to the doctor

Abstract

Informal employment, in which workers have no security of employment and receive few or no health insurance benefits, has risen sharply in urban China in the last decade. The percentage of women in informal employment in China is higher than in the formal employment sector; 'feminization' has thus become a key feature of informal employment in China. A feminized informal labor sector has far-reaching effects on the status of women's health and on women's health-seeking behavior. To better understand this behavior, especially barriers to health seeking, we conducted 34 interviews informally employed women in Guangzhou, China. For comparative purposes, we also interviewed 22 men in the informal labor sector. Findings reveal that compared with men, women have more serious health problems but report seeking medical attention less frequently. Financial constraints, distrust of doctors and medical expenses, unfriendly treatment environments and traditional attitudes about health and illness among women were the main barriers to health seeking. Implications for health promotion are discussed.