Health and Healthcare-Related Experiences Among Filipino University Students: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive and Unadjusted Comparative Study
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2026

Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Melynn Grace Parcon1, Sara Darias-Curvo2, Cristo Manuel Marrero-González3
1Program in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Development and Quality of Life, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
Abstract:
Background: In the Philippines, despite recent health system reforms, barriers to healthcare access and financial protection persist, and the role of parental migration in shaping healthcare access among university students remains incompletely understood. Guided by the Social Determinants of Health framework and Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study aimed to describe health and healthcare-related experiences in a sample of university students in Cavite; compare self-reported mental-health-related experiences by current parental overseas employment; and explore bivariate associations between selected student characteristics and self-reported health-insurance status. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 485 university students aged 18-25 was conducted between June and July 2023 in Cavite, Philippines. Conventional statistical analyses were used to describe the sample and assess unadjusted associations between selected variables. Results: Most students reported no health insurance (74.2%), and preventive healthcare engagement was low. 11.3% had parental migration experience. No consistent overall pattern of statistically significant differences was observed between students with and without parental migration experience across the self-reported mental-health-related experiences examined. Conclusions: Self-reported mental-health-related experiences were common among participating students. Although no consistent overall differences were identified according to parental migration experience, the findings suggest that self-reported mental-health-related experiences may be shaped by interacting academic, socioeconomic, and familial factors. Low perceived insurance coverage and limited preventive healthcare engagement highlight persistent barriers to healthcare access. Strengthening university-based mental health services, health literacy initiatives, and preventive healthcare engagement remains essential.
Related Concept Videos
Cross-Sectional Research
Surveys
Secondary Healthcare System
Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is limited...