Does piped water improve adolescent health? Empirical evidence from rural China

Abstract

AbstractThe research on the protective effect of piped water on young children has been documented in developing countries. However, little is known about the effect of access to piped water (APW) on adolescent health. Based on China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) baseline data for 9,204 adolescents in rural China, we examine the causal effect of APW on adolescent health by employing a control function with ordered probit (CF‐oprobit) model. We find that the availability of piped water in rural households can significantly improve the adolescent health status and also that the effect of piped water on adolescent health is heterogeneous in different subgroups. The protective effect is more pronounced among minorities (rather than Han nationalities), the only‐child families, and left‐behind children during the preschool years. Consequently, piped water programs have irreplaceable significance in improving adolescent health in rural China. Furthermore, policy‐makers should pay more attention to households of ethnic minorities, left‐behind children, and other vulnerable groups in their implementation.