Chinese Medical Aid Team Members (CMATMs) have a significant impact on the implementation of China’s health assistance strategies in Africa. The socio-cultural adaptation of CMATMs not only relates to the psychological situation and life quality of each member of the medical aid team, but also to the health aid performance of every single member and the medical aid team as a whole. This study evaluated CMATMs’ socio-cultural adaptation and its related factors. This was a cross-sectional survey study. The participants’ socio-cultural adaptation was measured by the Chinese version of the Socio-cultural Adaptation Scale (CSCAS). Stepwise multiple linear regression models were used to identify the main factors that are associated with CMATMs’ socio-cultural adaptation in general and in each dimension. The present study demonstrated that, to some extent, CMATMs are facing problems in socio-cultural adaptation, specifically in interaction. The type of service region, annual aid income, and length of service were identified as the main factors that were the most predictive of the CMATMs’ socio-cultural adaptation in Africa. This study obtained baseline information that is useful to relevant stakeholders in their attempts to improve CMATMs’ socio-cultural adaptation.

This study evaluated the relationship between cross-cultural social adaptation and overseas life satisfaction among Chinese medical aid team members (CMATMs) in Africa. A revised Chinese version of the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (CSCAS) was used to measure participants’ cross-cultural social adaptation. The self-designed survey of the CMATMs’ overseas life satisfaction includes the following five aspects: food, housing, transportation, entertainment, and security. Electronic questionnaires were distributed non-randomly. Linear regression models were established to explore the association between cross-cultural social adaptation and all dimensions of overseas life satisfaction. After adjusting all the confounders, compared with moderate adaptation, poor adaptation was negatively correlated with all dimensions of overseas life satisfaction (B for food = −0.71, B for housing = −0.76, B for transportation = −0.70, B for entertainment = −0.53, B for security = −0.81, B for overall satisfaction = −0.71, all p < 0.001), whereas good adaptation was positively associated with all dimensions of overseas life satisfaction (B for food = 1.23, B for housing = 1.00, B for transportation = 0.84, B for entertainment = 0.84, B for security = 0.76, B for overall life satisfaction = 0.94, all p < 0.001). This study shows that a better cross-cultural social adaptation was positively connected to a higher level of overseas life satisfaction in general, and more specifically to higher levels of satisfaction with food, housing, transportation, entertainment, and security. This knowledge can be utilized in promoting cross-cultural social adaptation and overseas life satisfaction among CMATMs in Africa.

Chinese medical aid team members (CMATMs) play an important role in the implementation of China’s health assistance strategies in Africa. This paper explored the influencing factors of expatriation willingness for Chinese medical aid team members (CMATMs). We employed a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five participants. Participants included hospital directors and local Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) officers who were in charge of CMATMs dispatching, and CMATMs that had returned from medical aid service. Six influencing factors emerged: career advancement, loneliness, living conditions, personal safety, family–work conflict, and doctor–patient relationship. Career advancement is the most important factor and concern for doctor CMATMs. Social use of Internet is on the core of entertainment. Enhancing technical title promotion policies is the most important motivator. This study obtained baseline information that is useful to relevant stakeholders in their attempts to improve CMATMs’ expatriation willingness.