Paediatric preventative health care use by immigrants in Hong Kong: a pilot study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over 14,000 children arrived in Hong Kong from Mainland China last year to join their recently immigrated parents. The aims of this pilot study were to explore immigrant parents' knowledge and perceptions of the accessibility of paediatric preventative health care services. METHOD: A descriptive survey was administered to parents. Participants (N=27) were grouped by their child's point of entry into the health care system. RESULTS: Most participants lacked knowledge about well-child care and health education. Participants whose children lived in Hong Kong for longer than one year used services for well-child care significantly more than those with shorter stays (χ2=4.50; p=0.03). The major barrier in accessing services was lack of knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Although a preliminary study, the results suggest a population-based study is needed because lack of familiarity with available services was a reoccurring finding. A more comprehensive assessment of the learning needs of this population is needed so effective ways of familiarizing new immigrants and tracking these children can be developed.