Factors Associated with Access of Marital Migrants and Migrant Workers to Healthcare in Taiwan: A Questionnaire Survey with Quantitative Analysis

• Main Authors: Feng-Yuan Chu, Hsiao-Ting Chang, Chung-Liang Shih, Cherng-Jye Jeng, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Wui-Chiang Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: access; interpreter; migrant and health; marital migrant; migrant workers
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/16/2830

In Taiwan, migrants come mostly for marriage and work. Several researchers have conducted health-related studies of marital migrants and migrant workers, but the access of the two groups to healthcare has not been studied. Therefore, our study investigated the factors associated with migrants&#8217; access to healthcare, with the main foci being marital migrants and migrant workers in Taiwan. A structured and cross-sectional questionnaire was anonymously self-administered by migrants recruited to participate in this survey on a voluntary basis from 11 medical centers and 11 migrant-helping associations in Taiwan between May 1st and September 21st, 2018. A total of 753 questionnaires were analyzed. The majority of marital migrants (<i>n</i> = 243) and migrant workers (<i>n</i> = 449) surveyed were enrolled in Taiwan&#8217;s National Health Insurance system (92.7 vs. 93.5%, <i>p</i> = 0.68). More of the migrant workers (<i>n</i> = 205) than the marital migrants (<i>n</i> = 42) encountered language barriers while seeking medical services (48.0 vs. 17.1%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). A professional interpreter at the point of care was considered important by more of the migrant workers (<i>n</i> = 316) than the marital migrants (<i>n</i> = 89) (70.2 vs. 39.6%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Although more than 90% of the surveyed migrants were enrolled in the health insurance system in Taiwan, many, especially among the migrant workers, still faced language barriers while seeking medical services.