METHOD: Between September and December 2020, a health questionnaire was administered via telephone to n = 250 migrants from Venezuela. Descriptive statistics summarized the constructs of Andersen's Behavioral Model. The model comprised of predisposing factors including migrants' social characteristics; enabling factors namely monthly earnings, education level and most trusted source of information on medical needs; need for care factors such as migrants self-reported health status, presence of non-communicable health conditions and having visited a doctor in the past 12 months; and the outcome variables which were migrants' decisions to seek public and private health services. Pearson χ2 tests, odds ratios and multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination examined the factors influencing a migrant's decision to seek health services.
RESULTS: Overall, 66.8% of migrants reported they would seek public health services, while 22.4% indicated they would seek private health services. Predisposing factors namely length of time residing in Trinidad and Tobago (p = 0.031) and living with family/friends (p = 0.049); the enabling factor of receiving information from publicly available sources (p = 0.037); and the need for care factor of visiting a doctor for a physical health problem (p = 0.010) were significant correlates of their decision to seek care in the public sector. Predisposing factors namely living with family/friends (p = 0.020) and the enabling factor of having difficulty accessing healthcare services (p = 0.045) were significant correlates of their decision to seek care from private providers.
DISCUSSION: Our findings demonstrated the positive association between social networks and a migrant's decision to use public and private health services, thus underscoring the importance of family and friends in facilitating health service use, promoting proper health practices and preventing diseases. Overall, the use of Andersen's Behavioral Model aided in identifying the factors associated with the use of health services by Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago. However, further studies are needed to better understand their need for ongoing care, to inform policy, and to plan targeted health interventions for addressing the gaps in health service access, barriers and use.
METHOD: Between July and October 2022, a survey was conducted using a sample of n = 507 Venezuelan migrants. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, migrant's attitudes toward past vaccinations, their beliefs and perceptions about COVID-19 disease, and health-service related factors. Descriptive statistics summarized the characteristics of these migrants. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors and attitudes associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
RESULTS: Our findings showed that 89% of the migrants accessed publicly available health services while in Trinidad and Tobago, 72.4% reported that they did not refuse other vaccines in the past, and 23% reported being hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Females had higher odds of being COVID-19 vaccine hesitant compared to males, and participants expressing doubts about the source of vaccine information also had greater odds of vaccine hesitancy. Long waiting times at a public health clinic and costs associated with traveling to a clinic were associated with higher odds of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.
CONCLUSION: A National Immunization Policy inclusive of the unmet needs of vulnerable migrant populations is needed to ensure equitable access to vaccinations.