Understanding differences in access and use of healthcare between international immigrants to Chile and the Chilean-born: a repeated cross-sectional population-based study in Chile

International Journal for Equity in Health

Research

Kate E Pickett¹  Baltica Cabieses²  Helena Tunstall³  Jasmine Gideon⁴ 

[1]Department of Health Sciences, University of York, YO10 5DD, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Area 3, York, England

[2]Faculty of Medicine Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes 12.438, Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile

[3]Department of Health Sciences, University of York, YO10 5DD, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Area 3, York, England

[4]Geography Building, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

[5]London International Development Centre, Birkbeck College, WC1H 0PD, 36 Gordon Square, London, England

关键词: Migration;    Healthcare utilization;    Access to healthcare;    Latin America;    Chile;    Healthcare inequity;    Population-based study;    Cross-sectional design;    Migración;    Utilización de asistencia sanitaria;    Acceso a servicios de salud;    América Latina;    Chile;    Inequidad en atención sanitaria;    Estudio de base poblacional;    Diseño transversal;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1475-9276-11-68

 received in 2012-08-06, accepted in 2012-11-05,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionInternational evidence indicates consistently lower rates of access and use of healthcare by international immigrants. Factors associated with this phenomenon vary significantly depending on the context. Some research into the health of immigrants has been conducted in Latin America, mostly from a qualitative perspective. This population-based study is the first quantitative study to explore healthcare provision entitlement and use of healthcare services by immigrants in Chile and compare them to the Chilean-born.MethodsData come from the nationally representative CASEN (Socioeconomic characterization of the population in Chile) surveys, conducted in 2006 and 2009. Self-reported immigrants were compared to the Chilean-born, by demographic characteristics (age, sex, urban/rural, household composition, ethnicity), socioeconomic status (SES: education, household income, contractual status), healthcare provision entitlement (public, private, other, none), and use of primary services. Weighted descriptive, stratified and adjusted regression models were used to analyse factors associated with access to and use of healthcare.ResultsThere was an increase in self-reported immigrant status and in household income inequality among immigrants between 2006 and 2009. Over time there was a decrease in the rate of immigrants reporting no healthcare provision and an increase in reporting of private healthcare provision entitlement. Compared to the Chilean-born, immigrants reported higher rates of use of antenatal and gynaecological care, lower use of well-baby care, and no difference in the use of Pap smears or the number of attentions received in the last three months. Immigrants in the bottom income quintile were four times more likely to report no healthcare provision than their equivalent Chilean-born group (with different health needs, i.e. vertical inequity). Disabled immigrants were more likely to have no healthcare provision compared to the disabled Chilean-born (with similar health needs, i.e. horizontal inequity). Factors associated with immigrants’ access to, and use of, healthcare were sex, urban/rural status, education and country of origin.ConclusionThere were significant associations between SES, and access to and use of healthcare among immigrants in Chile and a higher prevalence of no health care provision entitlement among poor and disabled immigrants compared to the Chilean-born. Changing associations between access and use of healthcare and SES among immigrants in Chile over time may reflect changes in their socio-demographic composition or in the survey methodology between 2006 and 2009.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Cabieses et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012