Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb 23;19(1):229.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6552-4.

Work life, relationship, and policy determinants of health and well-being among Filipino domestic Workers in China: a qualitative study

Brian J Hall  1   2 , Melissa R Garabiles  3   4 , Carl A Latkin  5
Affiliations

Work life, relationship, and policy determinants of health and well-being among Filipino domestic Workers in China: a qualitative study

Brian J Hall et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) comprise one of the largest populations of migrant workers globally. Within China, they represent the largest group of imported domestic workers. Little is known about their working conditions or how this might affect their health and wellbeing.

Methods: This qualitative study explored the working conditions and risk factors for poor health in a sample of temporary female Filipino domestic workers in Macao, China. Focus group discussions with female domestic workers (n = 22) and in-depth interviews with key informants (n = 7) were conducted.

Results: Domestic workers reported physical (e.g., hypertension, chronic pain, diabetes, poor sleep), and mental health problems (depression, anxiety), and addictive behaviors (gambling, alcohol misuse), along with significant structural, linguistic, financial, and cultural barriers to healthcare access to address these concerns. Adverse working conditions including poor treatment and abuse by employers, lack of privacy and inadequate sleeping areas in employers' homes or in crowded boarding houses, language barriers, inadequate and poor enforcement of labor protections, and discrimination. Domestic workers also cited exorbitant agency fees and remittances causing significant financial stress. Kinship network ties with family members back home were fraught with infidelity, difficulty parenting, misuse of remittances, and family misconceptions of domestic workers' situation abroad. Lack of quality social support and peer social networks exacerbated these conditions.

Conclusions: In this sample of Filipino migrant domestic workers, stressors experienced within the host country were commonly reported. Indebtedness and low salaries limits social mobility. Psychosocial and policy-level interventions are needed to improve the health and wellbeing of this population of migrant women.

Keywords: Decent work; Domestic worker; Mental health; Migrant workers; Needs assessment; Physical health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The University of Macau research ethics panel approved the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

References

    1. Ahonen EQ, Benavides FG, Benach J. Immigrant populations, work and health—a systematic literature review. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2007;(2):96–104. 10.5271/sjweh.1112. - PubMed
    1. Ang, J. W, Chia, C, Koh, C. J, Chua, B. W. B, Narayanaswamy, S, Wijaya, L, . . . Vasoo, S (2017). Healthcare-seeking behaviour, barriers and mental health of non-domestic migrant workers in Singapore. BMJ Global Health, 2(2). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arellano-Carandang ML. Filipino children under stress: Family dynamics and therapy. Philippines: Ateneo: University Press; 1987.
    1. Asis, M, Huang, S, & Yeoh, B. S. A (2004). When the Light of the Home is Abroad: Unskilled Female Migration and the Filipino Family. 25, 198–215. doi:10.1111/j.0129-7619.2004.00182.x.
    1. Ayalon L. Suicidal and depressive symptoms in Filipino home Care Workers in Israel. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. 2012;27(1):51–63. doi: 10.1007/s10823-011-9156-8. - DOI - PubMed