Health and Healthcare-Related Experiences Among Filipino University Students: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive and Unadjusted Comparative Study

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.