Unmet Healthcare Needs and Their Determining Factors among Unwell Migrants: A Comparative Study in Shanghai

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the health status and unmet healthcare needs, and the impact of related factors, of unwell migrants in Shanghai. A total of 10,938 respondents, including 934 migrants and 10,004 non-migrants, were interviewed in Shanghai’s Sixth Health Service Survey. Descriptive statistics were utilized to present the prevalence of health status and unmet healthcare needs. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationships between predisposing factors, enabling factors, need factors, and health-related behavior and unmet healthcare needs in the Anderson health service utilization model. This study indicated the percentages of migrants having a fair or poor self-evaluated health status (21.09%) and suffering from chronic diseases (72.91%) were lower than those of non-migrants (28.34% and 88.64%, respectively). Migrants had higher percentages of unmet hospitalization needs (88.87%), unmet outpatient care needs (44.43%), and self-medication (23.98%) than those of non-migrants (86.24%, 37.95%, 17.97%, respectively). Migrants enrolled in Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance were more likely to utilize hospitalization services (OR = 1.457) than those enrolled in other health insurances or uninsured. Need factors had impacts on unwell migrants’ unmet healthcare needs. Other factors, including age and health behavior, were also found to significantly affect unwell migrants’ unmet health service needs. Specific gaps continue to exist between unwell migrants and non-migrants regarding the accessibility of local health services. Flexible policies, such as enhancing the health awareness of migrants and eliminating obstacles for migrants to access medical services, should be implemented to provide convenient and affordable healthcare services to unwell migrants.