Publication: Ethnic disparities in utilization of maternal and child health services in rural Southwest China
Issued Date
2020-11-02
Resource Type
ISSN
16604601
16617827
16617827
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2-s2.0-85096353258
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Mahidol University
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Vol.17, No.22 (2020), 1-12
Suggested Citation
Chaofang Yan, Charuwan Tadadej, Kanittha Chamroonsawasdi, Natkamol Chansatitporn, John F.C. Sung Ethnic disparities in utilization of maternal and child health services in rural Southwest China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Vol.17, No.22 (2020), 1-12. doi:10.3390/ijerph17228610 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/60477
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Title
Ethnic disparities in utilization of maternal and child health services in rural Southwest China
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Abstract
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Studies in China on ethnic disparities in access to health care in remote and rural population remain insufficient. This study aimed to assess the disparities in utilization of maternal and child health (MCH) services, including antenatal care (ANC), hospital birth, child growth monitoring, and immunization compliance between Han and ethnic minority women in Yunnan Province. Methods: A multi-stage sampling scheme was used to randomly recruit women from 40 townships in 14 remote prefectures of extremely remote areas in Yunnan. From birth records, we identified and recruited 303 Han women and 222 ethnic minority women who had given birth to a child within 3 years for an interview. Results: Overall, 96% of women used the ANC checkups and more than 95% had infants born in hospitals. However, the proportion of women compliant with early ANC visits (having antenatal care in the first trimester) was 22.5% lower in minority women than in Han women (61.3% vs. 83.8%, p < 0.001) with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 2.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.13–3.66) for the minority group. The proportion of children under one year old with immunizations completed in a timely manner was also lower in minority families than in Han families (80.2% vs. 86.8%, p < 0.05) with an aOR of 1.99 (95% CI = 1.16–3.40). Conclusions: Ethnic disparities remain in utilization of early ANC visits and timely immunization completion for newborns. Ethnic minority women tended to lag behind for both. Further intervention should focus on assisting minority women living in extremely rural areas to comply with the MCH policy. Culturally-sensitive policies and skills are needed, and priority should be given to improve utilization of early ANC and timely immunization completion.