Factors Influencing Access to Health Services Among Migrant Workers in Ban Phaeng District, Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand
Keywords:
access to health services; health equity; migrant workersAbstract
Migrant workers are a population facing difficulty accessing local health services. This study aimed to study healthcare access among migrant workers and to identify factors associated with healthcare access in a border area. The sample consisted of 129 Lao migrant workers employed in the agricultural sector in Ban Phaeng District, Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand. Research instruments included a personal information questionnaire, a healthcare access questionnaire, and a questionnaire on factors related to healthcare access, covering five dimensions based on the Andersen Healthcare Utilization Model. The reliability coefficients were .92 for work-related risk factors and .99 for the healthcare access scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple linear regression. The results indicated that the overall level of healthcare access among migrant workers was low. Several factors were significantly associated with healthcare access, including receiving financial support for healthcare (β=.167, p<.05) and self-recovery behavior (β=.152, p<.05), which were positively associated with healthcare access. In contrast, receiving care at public healthcare facilities (β=-.318, p<.001), having caregivers (β=-.132, p<.05), and receiving chemical safety training (β=-.169, p<.01) were negatively associated with healthcare access. The model explained 19.00% of the variance in healthcare access (adjusted R2=.190). The findings of this study reflect the limitations in healthcare access among migrant workers in border areas. This information may serve as a fundamental basis for developing service systems that are responsive to the specific contexts and needs of migrant workers, thereby increasing opportunities for equitable and sustainable healthcare access.
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