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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Economics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 14005

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yunli Bai

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Guest Editor

1. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
2. UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), Beijing 100101, China
Interests: human capital improvement; rural labor market; farmland rental market; rural governance and public service

Dr. Qiran Zhao

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Guest Editor

1. College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
2. Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: development economics; human capital; evaluation of nutrition and education policy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Good health is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the achievement of this goal in rural areas of developing countries is strongly challenged due to climate change, environment pollution, and their vulnerable adaptation system. There is a growing realization of the relationship between improving the health of rural residents and promoting rural development at national and international levels, because health is not only an indispensable human capital but also the welfare embodiment of rural development. In the past decade or so, a solid evidence base linking rural development and health has accumulated, including macro policy research and micro empirical research. However, a comprehensive and socially relevant research approach needs to be established that is better aligned with the needs of rural residents, policymakers, and health professionals. This comprehensive and socially relevant research approach is characterized by inclusive perspectives for groups such as the physical health and mental health of infants, children, the elderly, migrants, and women, and paying more attention to socioeconomic factors such as family division of labor, family finance, food consumption, production behavior, and the public health service. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard coupled with a practical focus on providing optimal solutions.

Dr. Yunli Bai
Dr. Qiran Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

health and well-being
health inequalities
nutrition and health education
rural development
family finance
labor allocation
food consumption
production behavior
public health service
health behavior

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Household Migration on the Intergenerational Educational Mobility: Based on the Perspective of Adolescent Development

by Xiaohe Zhou, Mingda Cheng and Chunhui Ye

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064825 - 9 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1864

Abstract

Improving intergenerational mobility is crucial for enhancing the efficacy of human capital, ensuring social vitality, and supporting sustainable long-term economic growth. Based on the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) of 2014, this paper empirically examines the effect of adolescent household migration on intergenerational educational mobility by using a fixed-effect model. The study found that: (1) Household migration in the adolescent period significantly improves intergenerational educational mobility. (2) The quality and quantity of education of offspring are the channels through which household migration improves the intergenerational educational mobility of the household. (3) There are significant differences between urban and rural areas, gender, and household resource allocation in the effect of adolescent household migration on intergenerational educational mobility. As the majority of poor households are unable to improve intergenerational mobility through migration due to its costs and institutional barriers, this paper suggests that the government should concentrate on reducing regional disparities in educational resources, advancing rural education reform, and enhancing social security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development and Health in Developing Countries)

20 pages, 1092 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Agricultural Mechanization Level on Farmers’ Health Status in Western China: Analysis Based on CHARLS Data

by Huaquan Zhang, Zhenyao Yang, Yidan Wang, Martinson Ankrah Twumasi and Abbas Ali Chandio

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4654; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054654 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3910

Abstract

Agricultural mechanization is an important component of agricultural modernization, as it contributes to the improvement of agricultural technology and the rapid transformation of agricultural development. However, research on the connection between agricultural mechanization and farmers’ health status is scarce. Thus, using the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) data, this study explored how agricultural mechanization can affect farmers’ health. OLS and 2SLS models were used for the study’s analysis. Furthermore, we used a PSM model to check the robustness of our analysis. The findings showed that: (1) the current state of agricultural mechanization in western China harms the health of rural residents; (2) agricultural mechanization can mitigate the adverse effects on health by increasing farmers’ living expenditure and improving their living environment; and (3) agricultural mechanization’s effects on farmers’ health are regionally and income-heterogeneous. Agricultural mechanization has a more significant impact on health in Tibetan areas and high-income regions. It has an almost minimal effect in non-Tibetan and low-income areas. This paper suggests approaches that can be used to encourage the rational development of agricultural mechanization and improve rural populations’ health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development and Health in Developing Countries)

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21 pages, 1815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Livelihood Diversification and Residents’ Welfare: Evidence from Maasai Mara National Reserve

by Qi Sun, Chao Fu, Yunli Bai, Ayub M. O. Oduor and Baodong Cheng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3859; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053859 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2381

Abstract

The contradiction between environmental protection and livelihood development is becoming increasingly serious for most protected areas in developing countries. Livelihood diversification is an efficient way to increase household income to alleviate poverty related to environmental protection. However, its impacts on household welfare in protected areas have rarely been quantitatively explored. This article investigates the determinants of four livelihood strategies in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and explores the association between livelihood diversification and household income and its heterogeneities. Based on the sustainable livelihoods framework and the information collected from 409 households through face-to-face interviews, this study adopted multivariate regression models to obtain consistent results. Results show that the determinants of the four strategies differed. Natural capital, physical capital, and financial capital had significant associations with the probability of adopting the strategy of livestock breeding. Physical capital, financial capital, human capital, and social capital were associated with the probability of adopting the joint strategy of livestock breeding and crop planting and the joint strategy of livestock breeding and off-farm activities. The probability of adopting the joint strategy of livestock breeding, crop planting, and off-farm activities was associated with all five kinds of livelihood capital except for financial capital. Diversification strategies, especially those involving off-farm activities, played greater roles in raising household income. The findings indicate that the government and management authority of Maasai Mara National Reserve should provide the households around the protected area with more off-farm employment opportunities to increase the welfare of local residents as well as to utilize natural resources appropriately, especially for those located far away from the protected area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development and Health in Developing Countries)

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30 pages, 3737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of an Early Childhood Development Intervention on the Mental Health of Female Caregivers: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

by Yu Bai, Reyila Abulitifu and Dan Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11392; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811392 - 10 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2472

Abstract

Investing in early childhood development is an effective way to enhance human capital accumulation. Caregivers’ mental health is one of the most important factors influencing children’s development. Previous studies have found that mental health issues in caregivers are widespread all over the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we explored the effects of the “Integrated Program for Early Childhood Development” on the mental health of female caregivers in Southwest China through a randomized intervention trial, with infants aged 5–25 months and their caregivers as the target subjects. The heterogeneity of the effects of different characteristics of the caregivers and the mechanism of the intervention effect were also analyzed. Primary caregivers were provided comprehensive early development interventions for the children in the treatment group via bi-weekly home visiting activities and monthly family group activities. The results showed that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among female caregivers in this rural area were 32%, 42%, and 30%, respectively. Whether the child was breastfed, parent’s age, parent’s education level, primary caregiver type, the ratio of the number of months the mother was at home full time to the child’s age, the grandmother’s rearing ability, and the family asset index were the factors influencing the mental health of female caregivers. The intervention significantly increased the proportion of depressive symptoms in 28% of the grandmothers. It significantly reduced the anxiety symptoms of daughters-in-law not from the local town, while the social interactions of both local and non-local daughters-in-law were significantly improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development and Health in Developing Countries)

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22 pages, 3831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Microfinance in China’s Rural Public Health: Evidence from the Anti-Poverty Microcredit Program

by Benjian Wu, Yi Cui and Yushuo Jiang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710872 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2588

Abstract

This study presents nonlinear evidence of the effects of a microcredit program implemented in poverty-stricken villages in China on rural public health using multivariate-ordered Probit and IV-ordered Probit models. The results, which were based on a unique set of data gathered from two rounds of official tracking statistics obtained through investigation (2015 and 2018) at a household level, suggest that rural residents’ health levels and health insurance demands are related to the formal credit amount that they receive from the microcredit program. Further, the amount of debt that remains to be paid is a negative mediator and the poverty reduction degree is a positive mediator for the health impact of credit. After dividing the sample into subgroups according to income, credit rating and social network, the results show heterogeneity: the health outcomes of groups with a low income, a high credit rating and a strong social network are more significantly improved by loans. The estimations are still robust after using network and village clan numbers as instrumental variables to address endogeneity. Although most of the existing literature demonstrates that credit and indebtedness have negative impacts on health, our results supplement previous findings of the positive causality between access to formal credit and rural public health by showing that the former can exert positive effects by relaxing individuals’ external constraints and increasing health spending. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development and Health in Developing Countries)

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