Zhu, Haiou, de Bont, Cees, Gruber, Thorsten and Dong, Hua (2023) Mapping Health-Seeking Behaviours and Influences in Rural China: A behavioural systems approach. In: Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design Volume: RSD12, 06-20 Oct 2023.

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Abstract

This paper explores the complex terrain of health-seeking behaviours and choices in rural China, underpinned by systemic and behavioural influences. Existing literature has elucidated the urban-rural disparities in health resources and access to healthcare, which have profound implications for rural communities. Furthermore, these disparities are exacerbated by the intricate psychology of health-seeking behaviours, which are often impeded by factors such as cognitive abilities, emotional distress, health beliefs, and mistrust of the healthcare system. The study adopted a mixed methods research design to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of these issues, integrating document analysis, semi-structured interviews, narrative stories, and surveys.

The research was conducted in rural Yunnan Province, selected for its high rural population and ethnic minority representation, offering a rich context to explore health-seeking behaviours. Data sources included healthcare policy documents, interviews with healthcare professionals, personal narrative diaries, and surveys of rural residents, providing a holistic perspective of the healthcare system, from policy to personal experience. The collected data was then subjected to a convergent design analysis involving independent analysis of qualitative and quantitative data sets and subsequent integration of findings. The integration leveraged the Behavioural Systems Mapping (BSM) framework, a novel method for synthesising evidence and visually representing complex systems.

The study identified intricate behavioural patterns and key influences on health-seeking behaviours and decisions in rural China. These included a lack of disease prevention, undervaluing freely available medical products and services, limited access to family doctor services, and a significant influence of cultural beliefs and social networks. The findings, embedded within the healthcare system’s context, offer a valuable foundation for designing inclusive and sustainable health interventions.

Item Type:	Conference/Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	rural healthcare, mixed-methods design, behavioural systems mapping, health-seeking behaviours, health choices, health interventions
Divisions:	Faculty of Design
Date Deposited:	11 Mar 2026 20:53
Last Modified:	11 Mar 2026 21:00
URI:	https://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/4936

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