Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey
BackgroundStrengthening health education is an important measure to improve the health of mobile populations and a key objective of China’s basic public health services. Existing studies demonstrate that health education affects the health of mobile populations, but insufficient attention is paid to...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570633/full |
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| author | Meng Han Jiang Shan Yan Lei Fang Yang |
| author_facet | Meng Han Jiang Shan Yan Lei Fang Yang |
| author_sort | Meng Han Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundStrengthening health education is an important measure to improve the health of mobile populations and a key objective of China’s basic public health services. Existing studies demonstrate that health education affects the health of mobile populations, but insufficient attention is paid to the importance of factors that influence health education. Moreover, few studies examine how these factors contribute to health education equity among mobile populations in China. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the importance of factors affecting health education based on a comprehensive understanding of mobile populations’ overall health education status. Furthermore, the contribution of these important factors to health education equity is analyzed to inform differentiated intervention strategies, thereby providing a reference for enhancing mobile populations’ health level and achieving equal access to basic public health services.MethodsThis study utilized data from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), with a final sample of 103,910 participants after data cleaning. Chi-square tests were first conducted to examine differences in health education across various characteristics of the mobile population. The relative importance of influencing factors was then assessed using a random forest model, followed by key factor identification through LASSO regression. Subsequently, binary logistic regression was performed to quantify the effects of these key factors. Finally, concentration indices were calculated to identify these factors’ contributions to health education equity.ResultsThe self-assessed health status of China’s mobile population was good, with 81.89% reporting receipt of health education, while 18.11% had not received any health education. Seven key factors were identified as most influential in determining health education access among the mobile population: income, education, age, health record, scope of mobility, reason for mobility and gender. The health education concentration index of the mobile population was 0.0121, indicating a significant inequality in the utilization of health education services. Each important factor had a significant negative amplifying effect on health education equity among the mobile population.ConclusionHealth education among the mobile population requires further enhancement. Special attention should be directed toward vulnerable groups, including low-income individuals, the older adult, those with lower educational levels, and those with wider migration ranges. Moreover, the impact of key factors on health education equity among the mobile population should be carefully considered to improve health education equity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-71fcfe6a55d44518a8e4c07cb5046783 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-71fcfe6a55d44518a8e4c07cb50467832025-08-20T02:14:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15706331570633Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic surveyMeng Han Jiang0Shan Yan Lei1Fang Yang2School of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Humanities and Management, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaBackgroundStrengthening health education is an important measure to improve the health of mobile populations and a key objective of China’s basic public health services. Existing studies demonstrate that health education affects the health of mobile populations, but insufficient attention is paid to the importance of factors that influence health education. Moreover, few studies examine how these factors contribute to health education equity among mobile populations in China. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the importance of factors affecting health education based on a comprehensive understanding of mobile populations’ overall health education status. Furthermore, the contribution of these important factors to health education equity is analyzed to inform differentiated intervention strategies, thereby providing a reference for enhancing mobile populations’ health level and achieving equal access to basic public health services.MethodsThis study utilized data from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), with a final sample of 103,910 participants after data cleaning. Chi-square tests were first conducted to examine differences in health education across various characteristics of the mobile population. The relative importance of influencing factors was then assessed using a random forest model, followed by key factor identification through LASSO regression. Subsequently, binary logistic regression was performed to quantify the effects of these key factors. Finally, concentration indices were calculated to identify these factors’ contributions to health education equity.ResultsThe self-assessed health status of China’s mobile population was good, with 81.89% reporting receipt of health education, while 18.11% had not received any health education. Seven key factors were identified as most influential in determining health education access among the mobile population: income, education, age, health record, scope of mobility, reason for mobility and gender. The health education concentration index of the mobile population was 0.0121, indicating a significant inequality in the utilization of health education services. Each important factor had a significant negative amplifying effect on health education equity among the mobile population.ConclusionHealth education among the mobile population requires further enhancement. Special attention should be directed toward vulnerable groups, including low-income individuals, the older adult, those with lower educational levels, and those with wider migration ranges. Moreover, the impact of key factors on health education equity among the mobile population should be carefully considered to improve health education equity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570633/fullmobile populationhealth educationinfluencing factorsequityrandom forest model |
| spellingShingle | Meng Han Jiang Shan Yan Lei Fang Yang Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey Frontiers in Public Health mobile population health education influencing factors equity random forest model |
| title | Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey |
| title_full | Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey |
| title_short | Analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model: evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey |
| title_sort | analysis of influencing factors and equity in health education for mobile populations based on random forest model evidence from the china migrants dynamic survey |
| topic | mobile population health education influencing factors equity random forest model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570633/full |
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