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. 2024 Jun 13;24(1):726.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11153-2.

Spatial distribution patterns of human resources allocation in maternal and child healthcare institutions in China from 2016 to 2021

Xiaohui Li #  1 , Mei Su #  2 , Li He  2 , Jianjun Yang  3 , Fangyuan Wu  4
Affiliations

Spatial distribution patterns of human resources allocation in maternal and child healthcare institutions in China from 2016 to 2021

Xiaohui Li et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: In China, economic, urbanization, and policy differences between the eastern and western regions lead to uneven healthcare resources. This disparity is more pronounced in the west due to fewer healthcare personnel per thousand individuals and imbalanced doctor-to-nurse ratios, which exacerbates healthcare challenges. This study examines the spatial distribution of human resources in maternal and child healthcare from 2016 to 2021, highlighting regional disparities and offering insights for future policy development.

Methods: The data were sourced from the "China Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook" (2017) and the "China Health and Health Statistics Yearbook" (2018-2022). This study utilized GeoDa 1.8.6 software to conduct both global and local spatial autocorrelation analyses, using China's administrative map as the base dataset.

Results: From 2016 to 2021, there was an upward trend in the number of health personnel and various types of health technical personnel in Chinese maternal and child healthcare institutions. The spatial distribution of these personnel from 2016 to 2021 revealed clusters characterized as high-high, low-low, high-low and low-high. Specifically, high-high clusters were identified in Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces; low-low in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; high-low in Sichuan province; and low-high in Fujian and Anhui provinces.

Conclusions: From 2016 to 2021, there was evident spatial clustering of health personnel and various health technical personnel in Chinese maternal and child healthcare institutions, indicating regional imbalances.

Keywords: China; Healthcare human resources; Maternal and child healthcare; Spatial autocorrelation; Spatial distribution.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Global Moran’s I index of health personnel in Chinese maternal and child healthcare institutions from 2016 to 2021
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Global Moran’s I Index of the various health technicians in Chinese maternal and child healthcare institutions from 2016 to 2021
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Regional significance in health personnel allocation in Chinese maternal and child healthcare institutions from 2016 to 2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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