Health-seeking behaviours of the families with older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic in rural China: a qualitative inquiry from the perspective of migration and social support networks

Abstract

Introduction Health behaviours during a public health crisis for families with vulnerable ageing relatives are worth studying. After the Chinese government’s zero-tolerance policy on COVID-19 ended at the close of 2022, a significant surge in COVID-19 cases was observed among the Chinese population. This surge exposed a notable disparity in medical resources between urban and rural areas in China, with rural regions experiencing a pronounced lag in healthcare infrastructure. Amidst this backdrop, the health-seeking behaviour for rural older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic emerged as a critical subject for investigation. Chinese society heavily relies on interpersonal relationships. As such, access to medical resources for the older adults depends on their family members. How family members access higher-quality medical resources is a subject worthy of research. This study will explore the health-seeking behaviour for rural older Chinese from the perspective of migration and social support network in COVID-19 epidemic.Methods This study used qualitative methods and conducted interviews with 20 rural Chinese families where older relatives resided. The interviewees primarily consisted of adult children of older adults, alongside two grandchildren and two older adults themselves. After interviews, thematic analysis method was used to analyse the collected data and extracted three themes based on the questions raised.Results The study found that older adults had to leverage their extended family network to access urban medical facilities and resources to prevent and manage COVID-19 infections. The study also highlighted the significant influence of structural and cultural factors on the social support networks within rural families.Conclusion Families with older adults used their social support network to access better medical resources. The social support networks of families with older adults are also influenced by other structural and cultural factors. The health-seeking behaviour of families with older adults relies on private relationship resources, which make necessary task to build public health resources in rural China.