Obstetric service demand is the main health need of the Vietnamese population in Guangxi, China: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) 2024-02, Vol.103 (6), p.e37234
• Main Authors: Lan, Zhini, Wu, Xiaoqiu, Huang, Jiefang, Pan, Cuizhu, Lai, Jingzhen, Liang, Xia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Observational Study
• ISSN: 0025-7974; 1536-5964; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037234

China has become an emerging destination for international migration, especially in some Association of South East Asian Nations countries, but the situation of migrants seeking medical care in China remains unclear. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital in Chongzuo, which provides medical services for foreigners, to investigate the situation of Vietnamese people seeking health care in Guangxi, China. Vietnamese patients who visited the hospital between 2018 and 2020 were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, characteristics of payment for medical costs, and characteristics of hospitalization were compared between outpatients and inpatients. In total, 778 Vietnamese outpatients and 173 inpatients were included in this study. The percentages of female outpatients and inpatients were 93.44% and 88.44% (χ2 = 5.133, P = .023), respectively. Approximately 30% of outpatients and 47% of inpatients visited the hospital due to obstetric needs. The proportions of outpatients with basic medical insurance for urban residents, basic medical insurance for urban employees, and new cooperative medical schemes were 28.02%, 3.21%, and 2.31%, respectively. In comparison, the proportion of inpatients with the above 3 types of medical insurance was 16.76%, 1.73%, and 2.31%, respectively. The proportion of different payments for medical costs between outpatients and inpatients were significantly different (χ2 = 24.404, P