| dc.description.abstract | Background. Mobile Rural Workers have been widely concern as potential source of
new HIV infections in China, due to the nature of the mobility and magnitude of the
population.
Objective. The study aimed at assessing disparities between mobile rural workers and
local residents in HIV-related vulnerability by exploring important contextual factors
contributing to the disparities.
Method. A sample of 134 mobile rural workers and 127 local residents were
systematically recruited into a cross-sectional study. All 261 participants responded to
a close-ended questionnaire and 24 attended a Focus Group Discussion. Information
on HIV-related knowledge, attitude and perception, risk behaviors, mobility status as
well as socio-economic status were collected and analyzed.
Result. Adjusted for sex, age and education, mobile rural workers were more likely to
have lower income (OR =3.06, 95% CI: 1.31-7.18), no medical insurance (OR =6.58,
95% CI: 2.95-14.71), less social support (OR =2.13, 95% CI: 1.04-4.33), and poor
knowledge on HIV (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.05-5.99), compared to local residents.
However, mobile rural workers were less likely to have multi-partners than their local
counterparts (OR =0.3, 95% CI: 0.11-0.84). Among the mobile rural labors, females
were more likely to be less paid (OR=7.69, 95% CI: 2.17-25), and less likely to get
access to condom (OR=4.25, 95% CI: 1.64–11.00) compare to males. Differences in
income, social support and condom access between mobile rural workers and local
residents were much larger in female group. No female mobile worker reported multipartnership
in the study.
Conclusion. Compared to local residents in Beijing, mobile rural workers were more
vulnerable to HIV infection in terms of economic constraints, access to medical
services and insurance, social support and HIV-related information and knowledge.
Gender disparity predisposed woman mobile workers for higher level of vulnerability.
Marginalization of mobile rural workers poses potential threat to HIV/AIDS
prevention, and should be averted by addressing inequity during the process of
economic development and socio-cultural transition at host communities. | nor |