Seeking medical services among rural "grandmother-grandchildren" left-behind families in China: a qualitative study.
4 affiliations
- 1School of Clinical Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, People's Republic of China. [email protected].
- 2School of Clinical Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, People's Republic of China.
- 3Health Management Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, People's Republic of China.
- 4School of Humanities, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 445000, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
Background
The number of left-behind elderly people and children in rural China is rapidly increasing, and they are unable to receive sufficient daily care, economic support, and spiritual comfort from their children. The health issues of rural left-behind elderly people directly affect the economic and social risks of left-behind families, and the rural left-behind elderly people and children face more serious health challenges than urban elderly people.Methods
The data were collected and analysed by the method of inductive content analysis and in-depth interview. A total of 13 participants participated in the study, using semi-structured interview guidelines that were thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by all researchers to encourage participants to talk about their experiences seeking medical care.Results
The medical treatment of left-behind elderly and left-behind children in rural China faces enormous challenges. In terms of access to medical services, there are obstacles such as low income, high medical costs, and insufficient coverage of medical insurance. Due to the lack of companionship from adult children, left-behind elderly people can only rely on neighbours and relatives to seek medical services.Conclusion
The difficulty of seeking medical treatment for left-behind elderly people and children in rural China is significant, and greater efforts should be made to make it easier for them to access medical services.
Related
- Health-seeking behaviour among stroke survivors in a South Indian district: a qualitative focus-group study through the eyes of caregivers, community health workers and healthcare providers
- Community barriers, perceptions, and health-seeking behaviors within the one health approach in six priority districts of Rwanda: a descriptive qualitative study
- Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among women seeking digital mental health services in Bangladesh
- Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors and Pathways to Pediatric Oncology Care Among Families of Children with Cancer in a Public Tertiary Hospital in Southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: An Observational Study
- Acceptability and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant and lactating women seeking services at a tertiary public hospital in Kampala, Uganda.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026seeking,
title = {{Seeking medical services among rural "grandmother-grandchildren" left-behind families in China: a qualitative study.}},
author = {Xuewen Zhang and Jing Liu and Chunying Wang and Junxin Zhang and Yueying Pan and Xiaoqin Chong and Min Wang and Yuanlei Yue},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28518-3},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43009869},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Seeking medical services among rural "grandmother-grandchildren" left-behind families in China: a qualitative study.
AU - Xuewen Zhang
AU - Jing Liu
AU - Chunying Wang
AU - Junxin Zhang
AU - Yueying Pan
AU - Xiaoqin Chong
AU - Min Wang
AU - Yuanlei Yue
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/14
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28518-3
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43009869
AB - Background The number of left-behind elderly people and children in rural China is rapidly increasing, and they are unable to receive sufficient daily care, economic support, and spiritual comfort from their children. The health issues of rural left-behind elderly people directly affect the economic and social risks of left-behind families, and the rural left-behind elderly people and children face more serious health challenges than urban elderly people.Methods The data were collected and analysed by the method of inductive content analysis and in-depth interview. A total of 13 participants participated in the study, using semi-structured interview guidelines that were thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by all researchers to encourage participants to talk about their experiences seeking medical care.Results The medical treatment of left-behind elderly and left-behind children in rural China faces enormous challenges. In terms of access to medical services, there are obstacles such as low income, high medical costs, and insufficient coverage of medical insurance. Due to the lack of companionship from adult children, left-behind elderly people can only rely on neighbours and relatives to seek medical services.Conclusion The difficulty of seeking medical treatment for left-behind elderly people and children in rural China is significant, and greater efforts should be made to make it easier for them to access medical services.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -