Impact of Public Health Education on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among Migrant workers: Evidence from China

Impact of Public Health Education on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among Migrant workers: Evidence from China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Impact of Public Health Education on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among Migrant workers: Evidence from China Zihao Li This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Objectives: Public health education (PHE) effectively improves migrant workers' healthcare-seeking behavior (HSB). This study aims to explore the association between PHE and HSB. Methods: This study leverages data from the 2017 China Migrant Dynamic Survey (CMDS) to employing the Probit model and Propensity Score Matching method. Results: (1) PHE can significantly contribute to migrant workers’ attitudes(β=0.019, p<0.01), preferred primary(β=0.033, p<0.01), and local medical institutions (β=0.008, p<0.05); (2) Mechanism testing confirms that PHE influences the healthcare attitude (β=0.064, p<0.01; Z=5.627, p<0.01) and prioritizing primary medical institution (β=0.150, p<0.01; Z=8.526, p<0.01) of migrant workers through health literacy; (3) Regarding healthcare attitudes and preferences for primary medical institutions, New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) shows a positive moderating effect (β=0.008, p<0.01), whereas BMISUE has a contrary (β=-0.007, p<0.01; β=-0.025, p<0.01). Conclusion: The research indicates that PHE positively impacts migrant workers' healthcare attitudes and is associated with an increased likelihood of using primary and local medical institutions. PHE can influence HSB by enhancing health literacy. As different schemes in China's medical insurance system, NRCMS and BMISUE can both regulate the improvement effect of PHE on migrant workers' HSB. public health education healthcare-seeking behavior migrant workers health literacy medical insurance Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7993746","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":561982057,"identity":"e0abdad5-a417-496b-a4f8-321470882c84","order_by":0,"name":"Zihao Li","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZh4gUSAhB2IfeADkgxgShLUYSBiDtSQQpYUBrIUhsQHEToCK4dUi38578MMHA4v0+dMOPwTacofd4ADzwds8DHZ5uLQwNvMlS84wkMjdcDvNAKjlGbPBAbZkax6G5GKcXmHmMZDmAWmRTgBpOQzUwmMmzcNwAOJULICNmcf4N1BLuvzs9A9QLfzf8GrhYQaZaSCRwHA7B24LG14tEkAtlkC/GG64nVNwIMHgMLPkYTZjyzkGyTi1yPefMb7xoaJOHuiwzR8+VBxO5jve/PDGmwo7nFrQgAFDMiQyDYhTDwZ2JKgdBaNgFIyCEQIA4F9NVDfzRTgAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu Normal University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zihao","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-31 02:53:22","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":98482393,"identity":"411a2571-512b-4a42-9bec-9d75bf0498b6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-18 05:32:01","extension":"doc","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":769179,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"IMPACT1.doc","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7993746/v1/000cc448789e99caa0de0f33.doc"},{"id":98482392,"identity":"3f99b383-956f-463d-ab57-34e92ca1a53e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-18 05:32:01","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3576,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"26a6f0f27b784647bce5a9e30386dedc.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7993746/v1/7c530d88c1ba65d65c0b91a8.json"},{"id":102899330,"identity":"22c72417-fe8a-4018-94a1-408cce541745","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-18 07:41:10","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":403420,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"IMPACT1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7993746/v1_covered_8e7c858b-7beb-4a13-962b-c36a65af6b0e.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Impact of Public Health Education on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among Migrant workers: Evidence from China","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"public health education, healthcare-seeking behavior, migrant workers, health literacy, medical insurance","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eObjectives: Public health education (PHE) effectively improves migrant workers' healthcare-seeking behavior (HSB). This study aims to explore the association between PHE and HSB.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethods: This study leverages data from the 2017 China Migrant Dynamic Survey (CMDS) to employing the Probit model and Propensity Score Matching method.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults: (1) PHE can significantly contribute to migrant workers’ attitudes(β=0.019, p\u0026lt;0.01), preferred primary(β=0.033, p\u0026lt;0.01), and local medical institutions (β=0.008, p\u0026lt;0.05); (2) Mechanism testing confirms that PHE influences the healthcare attitude (β=0.064, p\u0026lt;0.01; Z=5.627, p\u0026lt;0.01) and prioritizing primary medical institution (β=0.150, p\u0026lt;0.01; Z=8.526, p\u0026lt;0.01) of migrant workers through health literacy; (3) Regarding healthcare attitudes and preferences for primary medical institutions, New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) shows a positive moderating effect (β=0.008, p\u0026lt;0.01), whereas BMISUE has a contrary (β=-0.007, p\u0026lt;0.01; β=-0.025, p\u0026lt;0.01).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConclusion: The research indicates that PHE positively impacts migrant workers' healthcare attitudes and is associated with an increased likelihood of using primary and local medical institutions. PHE can influence HSB by enhancing health literacy. As different schemes in China's medical insurance system, NRCMS and BMISUE can both regulate the improvement effect of PHE on migrant workers' HSB.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of Public Health Education on Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among Migrant workers: Evidence from China","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-18 05:31:54","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7993746/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8156b97b-3f93-43fe-be97-0a9856c6c2a4","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-18T07:40:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-18 05:31:54","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7993746","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7993746","identity":"rs-7993746","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}