Can public health services promote the settlement intention of migrant workers: empirical analysis from China

IntroductionEnhancing migrant workers’ settlement intention in cities requires ensuring they have equal public health rights as urban residents. Full access to public health services can strengthen their sense of belonging and improve the well-being of this vulnerable group. Evaluating the welfare impact of public health services from the perspective of city identification offers valuable insights and informs policies aimed at improving the quality of public health service provision.MethodsThis study utilizes data from the 2017 China CMDS survey. We employed various analytical methods, including the Probit model, IV-Probit model, Propensity Score Matching, and KHB decomposition, to empirically examine the impact of public health services on the settlement intention of migrant workers. Additionally, we explored the underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity of this impact.ResultsPublic health services such as health records management and public health education significantly increase the settlement intention of migrant workers. The positive effect of public health services on the settlement intention is more pronounced among migrant workers who have moved across provinces and those wh