Factors Influencing Thai Health Workers’ Attitudes toward Providing Health Services to Migrants

Authors

  • Orn-Anong Wichaikhum Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
  • Kulwadee Abhicharttibutra Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
  • Apiradee Nantsupawat Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60099/prijnr.2024.265360

Keywords:

Attitude, Context, Culture, Health services, Health workers, Knowledge, Migrants

Abstract

Many migrants currently use local Thai healthcare services while living and working in Thailand. Health workers’ attitudes toward providing health services to migrants significantly influence the quality of their healthcare. This study aimed to describe and compare health workers’ attitudes toward providing health services to migrants between health professionals and supportive health workers and examine the personal and system factors that predict health workers’ attitudes towards health services. A cross-sectional design was applied in this study. A total of 1,356 health workers in Thailand were selected using multi-stage random sampling. The research instruments included the Migrants’ Cultures and Contexts Questionnaire and the Health Workers’ Attitudes toward Providing Health Services to Migrants Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and binary logistic regression.
Most health professionals (91.05%) and supportive health workers (91.71%) had positive attitudes toward health services for migrants. The appropriateness of health workers’ numbers and knowledge about migrants’ cultures and contexts could mutually influence the health workers’ attitudes, accounting for only 3.6% of the variance. Reinforcing positive attitudes among health workers can be done by providing praise for good health services. However, further studies on the accessibility, quality of care services, cost, and migrants’ satisfaction are needed before appropriate intervention and policy can be improved.

References

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Thailand. Migration context [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 14]. Available from: https://thailand.iom.int/migration-context

Migrant Working Group (MWG). The situation of migrant workers and refugees in Thailand: policy recommendations and reform of concerned laws [Internet]. 2023 July 6 [cited 2024 Jan 14]. Available from: https://mwgthailand.org/en/article/1688602720

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Thailand. IOM Thailand Annual Report 2022. 2022 [cited 2024 Jan 14]. Available from: https://thailand.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1371/files/documents/2023-05/05.11_annual-report-2022.pdf

Rakprasit J, Nakamura K, Seino K, Morita A. Healthcare use for communicable diseases among migrant workers in comparison with Thai workers. Ind Health. 2017; 55(1):67-75. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.2016-0107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2016-0107

König A, Nabieva J, Manssouri A, Antia K, Dambach P, Deckert A, et al. A systematic scoping review on migrant health coverage in Thailand. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2022;7(8):166. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7080166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7080166

Meetham P, Kumlert R, Gopinath D, Yongchaitrakul S, Tootong T, Rojanapanus S, Padungtod C. Five years of post-validation surveillance of lymphatic filariasis in Thailand. Infect Dis Poverty. 2023;12(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s40249-023-01158-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-023-01158-0

Suphanchaimat R, Putthasri W, Prakongsai P, Tangcharoensathien V. Evolution and complexity of government policies to protect the health of undocumented/ illegal migrants in Thailand - the unsolved challenges. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2017;10:49-62. doi: 10.2147/rmhp.S130442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S130442

Uansri S, Kunpeuk W, Julchoo S, Sinam P, Phaiyarom M, Suphanchaimat R. Perceived barriers of accessing healthcare among migrant workers in Thailand during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a qualitative study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(10):5781. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20105781. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105781

Chatchawanchanchanakij P, Arpornpisan P. Factors affecting access to health services of Myanmar transnational workers: a case study of Thai seafood processing industry in Samutsakhon Province. APHEIT J. 2015;21(2):80-9. Available from: https://opac01.rbru.ac.th/multim/journal/02609.pdf (In Thai)

Buadaeng K. Health of transnational laborers and access to governmental health services. 2018 [cited 2022 Nov 12]. Available from: http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/64856 (in Thai)

Shaaban AN, Peleteiro B, Martins MRO. The writing’s on the wall: on health inequalities, migrants, and coronavirus. Front Public Health. 2020;8:505. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00505. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00505

Boonchutima S, Sukonthasab S, Sthapitanonda P. Myanmar migrants’ access to information on HIV/AIDS in Thailand. JSSH [Internet]. 2020;21(1):111-24. Available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/spsc_journal/article/view/241521

Arrey AE, Bilsen J, Lacor P, Deschepper R. Perceptions of stigma and discrimination in health care settings towards sub-Saharan African migrant women living with HIV/AIDS in Belgium: a qualitative study. J Biosoc Sci. 2017;49(5): 578-96. doi: 10.1017/s0021932016000468. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932016000468

Cruz-Riveros C, Urzúa A, Macaya-Aguirre G, Cabieses B. How do health teams perceive international migrant users of primary care? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(16):9940. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169940. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169940

Drewniak D, Krones T, Wild V. Do attitudes and behavior of health care professionals exacerbate health care disparities among immigrant and ethnic minority groups? An integrative literature review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2017;70: 89-98. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.02.015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.02.015

Peñuela-O'Brien E, Wan MW, Edge D, Berry K. Health professionals' experiences of and attitudes towards mental healthcare for migrants and refugees in Europe: a qualitative systematic review. Transcult Psychiatry. 2023;60(1):176-98. doi: 10.1177/13634615211067360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13634615211067360

Chalamwong Y, Mongkolsomlit S, Paitoonpong S, Ngaosri K, Tanadkha K, Prasomsub R, Tunmuntong A, Sae-Khoo S. A research on: attitude of native population (and concerned government agencies) towards migrant workers in Thailand in the context of public health, economic impact and national security. HSRI [Internet]. 2018 Sept 14 [cited 2022 Oct 10]. Available from: https://kb.hsri.or.th/dspace/handle/11228/4963?locale-attribute=th (in Thai)

Kamwan A, Kessomboon P. Health services accessibility for migrant workers in Chiangkhan District, Loei Province Comm Health Dev Q KKU. 2016;4(3):359-74 (in Thai).

Kosiyaporn H, Julchoo S, Phaiyarom M, Sinam P, Kunpeuk W, Pudpong N, et al. Strengthening the migrant-friendliness of Thai health services through interpretation and cultural mediation: a system analysis. Glob Health Res Policy. 2020;5(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s41256-020-00181-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256-020-00181-0

Dias S, Gama A, Cargaleiro H, Martins MO. Health workers' attitudes toward immigrant patients: a cross-sectional survey in primary health care services. Hum Resour Health. 2012;10:14. doi: 10.1186/1478-4491-10-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-10-14

Dias SF, Severo M, Barros H. Determinants of health care utilization by immigrants in Portugal. BMC Health Serv Res. 2008;8:207. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-8-207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-8-207

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Thailand. Migration health. [cited 2023 Nov 1]. Available from: https://thailand.iom.int/migration-health

Eagly AH, Chaiken S. The advantages of an inclusive definition of attitude. Soc Cogn. 2007;25(5):582-602. doi: 10.1521/soco.2007.25.5.582. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2007.25.5.582

Betancourt JR, Green AR, Carrillo JE, Ananeh-Firempong O, 2nd. Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public Health Rep. 2003;118(4):293-302. doi: 10.1093/phr/118.4.293. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3549(04)50253-4

Rousseau C, Oulhote Y, Ruiz-Casares M, Cleveland J, Greenaway C. Encouraging understanding or increasing prejudices: A cross-sectional survey of institutional influence on health personnel attitudes about refugee claimants' access to health care. PLoS One. 2017;12(2):e0170910. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170910. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170910

Hudelson P, Perron NJ, Perneger TV. Measuring physicians and medical students' attitudes toward caring for immigrant patients. Eval Health Prof. 2010;33(4):452-72. doi: 10.1177/0163278710370157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278710370157

Akhavan S. Midwives' views on factors that contribute to health care inequalities among immigrants in Sweden: a qualitative study. Int J Equity Health. 2012;11:47. doi: 10.1186/1475-9276-11-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-11-47

Dauvrin M, Lorant V, Sandhu S, Devillé W, Dia H, Dias S, et al. Health care for irregular migrants: pragmatism across Europe: a qualitative study. BMC Res Notes. 2012;5:99. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-5-99

Rose N, Kent S, Rose J. Health professionals' attitudes and emotions towards working with adults with intellectual disability (ID) and mental ill health. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2011;56(9):584-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01476.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01476.x

Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. B.E. 2560 (2017). 2022 [cited 2022 Nov 24]. Available from: https://library.parliament.go.th/en/2017-Constitution-of-the-Kingdom

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations. International convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families [Internet]. 1990 Dec 18 [cited 2022 Nov 28]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-convention-protection-rights-all-migrant-workers

Anderson LM, Scrimshaw SC, Fullilove MT, Fielding JE, Normand J. Culturally competent healthcare systems: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2003;24(3 Suppl): 68-79. doi: 10.1016/s0749-3797(02)00657-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00657-8

Department of Employment. Foreigners' Working Management Emergency Decree. 2018 [cited 2023 Nov 5]. Available from: https://www.doe.go.th/prd/assets/upload/files/legal_th/e64d9efe6d8cb299501a5e07bf9da569.pdf.

Mak R. A comparative analysis of migrant health policies and practices in the US and Switzerland. Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3440. 2022 [cited 2023 Jan 28]. Available from: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3440

Ledoux C, Pilot E, Diaz E, Krafft T. Migrants’ access to healthcare services within the European Union: a content analysis of policy documents in Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Glob Health. 2018;14(1):57. doi: 10.1186/s12992- 018-0373-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0373-6

Downloads

Published

2024-03-21

How to Cite

1.
Wichaikhum O-A, Abhicharttibutra K, Nantsupawat A. Factors Influencing Thai Health Workers’ Attitudes toward Providing Health Services to Migrants. PRIJNR [Internet]. 2024 Mar. 21 [cited 2024 Dec. 5];28(2):296-307. Available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/PRIJNR/article/view/265360