Chinese Family Panel Studies Research Articles

Does import trade liberalization worsen residents’ health? Evidence from China

Health is important to human capital and national sustainable development. Based on the latest Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper uses the IVprobit model to test the impact of import trade liberalization on residents’ health from the micro-individual perspective and further explores its mechanism. The results indicate that import trade liberalization brings hidden health costs, and that the negative effects on the health of people in eastern China or rural areas, people with a low education background, people under 60 years of age, and women are more significant. In areas with more serious environmental pollution, the health deterioration effect of expanding imports is more obvious. Increasing green coverage and optimizing the quality of public services can effectively alleviate this negative impact. Import trade liberalization does not affect residents’ health through income gap, therefore when carrying out import trade liberalization the government should pay greater attention to the health status of the specified groups, adopt various means to improve the ecological and living environments, reduce pollution emissions, optimize the supply of public services, and ultimately improve residents’ overall health level.

Reallocate to the right place: The heterogeneous effect of internet use on factor allocation of rural households in China

How to improve factor (mis)allocation is an important topic for both economists and policy-makers. In the digital economy era, existing studies have investigated the impact of information and communication technologies on factor allocation of rural households, but little is known about the heterogenous effect on farmers with differentiated productivity. This study uses panel data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2020, to examine the impact of Internet use on factor allocation of rural households from the view of heterogeneity in their productivities. The results suggest that Internet use facilitates a flow of land from low- to high-productivity farmers, and farm labor migration to off-farm activities. Such effect is achieved though easing information constraints and all farmers gain higher income after the reallocation. Our findings suggest that promoting Internet penetration and its functions can help reduce misallocation and improve welfare in rural areas.

Can the digital economy close the gender wage gap? Evidence from China

Using data from the Chinese Household Income Project and Chinese Family Panel Studies, this paper systematically examines the impact of the digital economy on the gender wage gap. According to empirical evidence, the development of the digital economy can reduce the gender wage gap, and this result still holds after a series of robustness tests. Consistent with our theoretical analysis, the results of mechanism analysis confirm that this relationship holds because the development of the digital economy can promote women’s formal employment, ease family care burdens of women, and promote the formation of egalitarian gender perspectives. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that this effect weakens with increasing wage rates and differs among people with different skills, industries, sectors, and regions. Further analysis suggests that among the entrepreneurial population, the digital economy has a sizable effect on reducing the gender wage gap.

Energy poverty and household development resilience: Household level evidence from China

Energy poverty is a significant challenge facing sustainable human development and a key constraining factor for household development. Based on theoretical analysis, this study utilizes data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted from 2012 to 2020 to analyze the impact of energy poverty on household development resilience and explore its underlying mechanisms through the Bootstrap method. The findings reveal the following: Firstly, energy poverty significantly reduces household development resilience, and this conclusion remains robust after addressing endogeneity issues and conducting a series of robustness tests. Secondly, energy poverty restricts household development by compromising health, educational levels, and internet access. Thirdly, the constraining effect of energy poverty on household development resilience exhibits heterogeneity, with a stronger impact in urban areas than rural areas and in eastern regions than central and western regions. Fourthly, further analysis suggests that the use of solid fuels significantly reduces household development resilience, whereas the utilization of clean energy facilitates the enhancement of household development resilience. This study provides important policy implications for addressing energy poverty and promoting long-term household development, serving as a reference for other developing countries.

Can cultural capital, cognitive ability, and economic capacity help rural older adults bridge the digital divide? Evidence from an empirical study.

The digital divide is the difference between individuals who use the Internet and those who do not. Under the triple social environment of urban-rural dichotomy, population aging, and the digital era in China, the existence of digital divide among rural older adults has seriously affected their access to health information through the Internet, so it is urgent to bridge the digital divide problem they face. Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Stress Coping Theory, the impact of cultural capital on the digital divide among rural older adults was systematically analyzed using hierarchical regression and Chained Mediation Effect Tests using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Cultural capital has a significant positive effect on the digital divide among rural older adults (β = 0.178, p < 0.01). Cognitive ability and economic capacity both play independent intermediary effects between cultural capital and digital divide among rural older adults, and the intermediary chain formed by the two plays a chain intermediary effect. The increase in the cultural capital of rural older adults has led to an increase in their cognitive ability and economic capacity, which ultimately has a favorable effect on the bridging of the digital divide. Heterogeneity results suggest that cultural capital is more effective in bridging the digital divide among male rural older adults aged 60-69. Cultural capital is able to bridge the digital divide faced by rural older adults and is age and gender heterogeneous. At the same time, improved cognitive ability and economic capacity can also help rural older adults bridge the digital divide. Therefore, it is proposed that we increase the construction of public cultural service infrastructure in rural areas, liaise with community neighborhood committees and village committees to do a good job of publicity, improve training measures for key groups, and maintain the enthusiasm of rural older adults for learning, so as to provide references for the rural older adults in China and developing countries in general to bridge the digital divide.

Can the return of rural labor improve the physical health of left-behind parents-evidence from rural China.

Objectively In objective terms, the return of rural labor force shortens the spatial distance with parents, leading to changes in caregiving support, emotional support, and financial support for parents, thereby affecting the health status of parents. This article, using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, analyzes the characteristics of the health status of parents with and without returning migrant children. By employing multiple linear regression models, PSM models, and IV-2SLS methods to address endogeneity bias, the study preliminarily explores the impact of rural labor force return on parental health. The results show that: (1) among the 5,760 older adult individuals, 1866 of them have returning migrant chil-dren, while the remaining 3,894 do not have returning migrant children. (2) Parents' health status generally follows a normal distribution, with a small proportion of parents having very poor or very good health. The proportions of parents with relatively poor, fair, and relatively good health status range between 20 and 40%. Among parents with returning chil-dren, 40.12% have relatively poor health status, 45.01% have fair health status, and a small proportion have very poor or very good health status. In contrast, among parents without returning children, the proportions of parents with relatively poor, fair, and rela-tively good health status are 21.69, 33.21, and 38.45%, respectively. When parents tran-sition from not having returning children to having returning children, their health status decreases by 0.541 levels, indicating a negative impact of rural labor force return on par-ents' health. Based on the analysis results, this article provides policy recommendations from three aspects: how to increase the income of returning labor force, improve the rural pension system, and enhance the concept of children supporting their parents.

The health costs associated with “looking forward to success”: Educational expectations and children's health

AbstractThis study examines the impact of the deviation between parents' educational expectations and children's educational expectations on children's health. This study based on the data from Chinese Family Panel Studies conducted in 2018 and 2020, The participants were 2340 children aged 10–15 years (1310 boys, 1030 girls) in China. We found that when parents' educational expectations are higher than their children's educational expectations, they have a negative impact on children's health status. According to the influence mechanism, the higher the parents' expectations of education are, the greater children's remedial behaviour will be, the less leisure time will be, which will adversely affect children's health. Furthermore, we found that a good parent–child relationship moderated the negative impact of the deviation in parent–child educational expectations on children's health. Therefore, in order to ensure the healthy development of children, it is necessary to resolve the adverse effects of the deviation in parent–child educational expectations by arranging tutoring and leisure time rationally and establishing a good parent–child relationship.

The brother's penalty: Boy preference and girls' health in rural China.

This paper identifies the health penalty experienced by girls due to having a brother from endogenous sibling gender composition. We propose a girls-to-girls comparison strategy and rule out the confounding effect from the sibship size, birth interval, and birth order. Employing an instrumental variable approach and data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, we find that girls with a brother are demonstrably shorter and report poorer health. This "brother's penalty" manifests even prenatally. Alternative explanations, such as birth order disadvantages, are carefully addressed and ruled out. The results hold even after excluding gender-neutral ethnic minorities. This observed penalty is likely attributed to unequal resource allocation within families and potential parental neglect. This penalty is amplified in families with lower income and maternal education, implying resource constraints contribute to gender discrimination. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing intrafamily gender bias for ensuring equal opportunities and health outcomes. Clinical trial registration: Not applicable.

Effect of Internet Use on Cognitive Function of Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults in China: Evidence from China Family Panel Studies.

The development and popularization of the Internet provides an important opportunity to advance national strategies for healthy aging, particularly the impact of the Internet on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. This study aimed to quantify the impact of Internet use on the cognitive health of middle-aged and older adults (aged≥45 years). We used data from the Chinese Family Panel Study (CFPS) survey, tested the robustness of the baseline findings by variable substitution and instrumental variables methods, and analyzed heterogeneity. Subsequently, five purposes of Internet use that affect cognitive function were analyzed in depth. Internet use may improve cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. The effect of Internet use on cognitive function was more pronounced in the lower age group (45-59 years), among males, in rural areas, and among middle-aged and older adults with higher levels of education. Cognitive functioning of middle-aged and older adults varied according to how often they used the Internet for entertainment, socialization, study, work, and business activities. The use of the Internet may be considered a practical non-pharmacological intervention to slow cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.

Digital finance, cultural capital, and entrepreneurial entry

Cultural capital plays a crucial role in influencing entrepreneurial entry, yet the regulatory and supportive role of digital finance in this context remains unclear. Based on Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and data from the Chinese intangible cultural heritage (ICH) listing, this paper examines the significant regulatory role of digital finance in driving entrepreneurial entry through cultural capital. The research findings indicate that cultural capital represented by the ICH listing, significantly enhances the probability of entrepreneurial entry and the support of digital finance effectively amplifies this promoting effect as validated by multiple robustness tests. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the regulatory impact of digital finance support is more pronounced among urban populations, married groups, and individuals with high Internet usage frequency.

Does digital technology make people healthier: the impact of digital use on the lifestyle of Chinese older adults

BackgroundWith the arrival of the era of large-scale production, sharing and application of data, digital use has gradually changed people’s daily entertainment, consumption, social interaction, learning and other behaviors in its efficient form. This paper mainly discusses whether this fast and convenient behavior leads Chinese older adults to adopt healthier lifestyles.MethodsUsing the most recent information from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2020, this paper conducted a descriptive statistical analysis on the basic situation of digital use and lifestyles among Chinese older adults and used a structural equation model to analyse the influence of frequency and types of digital use in a variety of different aspects of the real life of Chinese older adults.ResultsResearch revealed that the quality of life of Chinese older adults improved significantly as a result of their use of digital technology. The frequency of digital use (FDU) significantly improved Chinese older adults’ diet, sleep, exercise, smoking and drinking, and relieved their depression. The types of digital use (TDU) had a significant positive correlation with the lifestyle of Chinese older adults, especially in the influence of digital entertainment (DE), digital consumption (DC) and digital social interaction (DI) on the lifestyle of Chinese older adults.ConclusionsDigital use can improve the health of Chinese older adults by promoting a healthy lifestyle through various means. The findings of this study have a substantial positive impact on bridging the digital divide that Chinese older adults face, as well as fostering the integration of digital use into their healthy lifestyles.

Impact of educational mismatches on the job quality -- empirical analysis based on Chinese Family Panel Studies

Impact of educational mismatches on the job quality -- empirical analysis based on Chinese Family Panel Studies

Household health expenditure does not improve people's subjective well-being in China.

Household health expenditure plays a crucial role in the daily spending of individuals. Meanwhile, the attention of the public to subjective well-being (SWB) is constantly increasing in China. Household health expenditure could reduce real family income, harming personal SWB. However, the aim of household health expenditure is to improve the physical condition of an individual, and improvements in individual health could enhance personal SWB. Therefore, the effect of household health expenditure on personal SWB is uncertain; hence, it is essential to assess the effects of household health expenditure on the SWB of Chinese residents. The Chinese family panel studies database from 2016 to 2020 was applied in this study. A fixed effects model was used to examine the impact of household medical and health protection expenses on personal SWB. Fixed effects instrumental variable regression and propensity score matching were then used to conduct robustness testing. On the basis of a fixed effects model, it was found that household medical and health protection expenditure did not improve the happiness and life satisfaction of individuals; rather, household health protection expenditure could significantly reduce personal happiness. Fixed effects instrumental variable regression and propensity score matching analysis supported these results. Household health protection expenditure had a greater negative impact on the happiness and life satisfaction of females compared with males. Household health expenditure does not improve the SWB of individuals in China; this has certain significance for the formulation of relevant policies.

THE EFFECT OF PANDEMICS ON TRUST IN DOCTOR IMPROVEMENT AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS: LESSONS FROM COVID-19

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the physician-patient relationship. For older adults, trust in doctors during the pandemic affects their lives and health. This study aimed to estimate the effect of the first wave of COVID-19 transmissibility in China on older adults’ trust in doctors. We obtained individual data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A total of 2,225 participants aged 65 and older were included in this study. The COVID-19 pandemic was used as a natural experiment. We obtained difference-in-differences (DID) estimates of the pandemic’s effects by exploiting temporal variation in the timing of COVID-19 exposure across participants interviewed from 2018 to 2020 together with the geographical variation in COVID-19 severity at the provincial district level. Overall, the DID estimates showed that the COVID-19 pandemic could significantly increase trust in doctors after controlling for multiple covariates (adjusted β: 0.053, 95% CI: 0.028–0.078). Stratified analyses showed that the effect was only in females and the more educated ones but not in their counterparts. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic showed a positive effect on trust in doctors among 65-79-year-olds (0.082, 0.056–0.109), but older adults over the age of 80 showed significantly reduced trust in doctors (-0.236, -0.418–-0.055). Our findings confirm the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and trust in doctors among older Chinese people. Hospitals and other medical organizations should pay more attention to improving older adults’ trust in doctors and building a better physician-patient relationship to face the future pandemic.

Housing demolition and labour force participation: A gender difference perspective

AbstractExisting research suggests that housing demolition negatively affects labour supply through the wealth effect of the demolition compensation. However, there is limited research on the gender differences in the impact of housing demolition on labour force participation. This study investigates the effects of housing demolition on labour force participation, with a specific focus on the gender difference. Using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies, this study reveals a significant decline in labour force participation resulting from housing demolition, primarily driven by females. Moreover, housing demolition exerts a stronger effect on the labour force participation of married women, who tend to take on more responsibilities for household chores, while its impact on married men is less evident. These findings offer valuable insights into the issue of labour shortage and underscore the importance of reducing the traditional gender‐based division of household labour.

Has the digital economy improved the consumption of poor and subsistence households?

Using Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database from 2012 to 2018, this paper examines the impacts and transmission mechanisms of the digital economic growth on the consumption of the poor and subsistence households. The results show that the digital economy negatively affects the consumption of the poor and subsistence households, with a more prominent effect on the poor families. Mechanism analysis indicates that digital economic development reduces the consumption of poor and subsistence households mainly by exacerbating the uncertainties they face in labor market (higher unemployment risk and expected income uncertainty) and the inequality of wealth distribution (higher deprivation of income and wealth). Further analyses reveal that the digital economy has greater negative impacts on households with less material, human and social capital endowments, and leads no significant improvements in the consumption environment for the disadvantaged households.

Relationship between positive parenting and adolescents' depressive symptoms: Evidence from a Chinese research survey.

Adolescents often carry their depression well into their adulthood. This creates perpetual difficulties for their family and society. Research on the relationship between positive parenting and adolescent depressive symptoms is rare. The protective effect of positive parenting on adolescent depressive symptoms also remains underexplored. Parents are a vital source of feedback that shapes adolescents' self-view in crucial ways. This study examines the latent relationships between four factors related to positive parenting and adolescent depressive symptoms. Using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS), Stata MP 17.0 was used for preliminary data processing and descriptive statistics. The structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to test the seven proposed hypotheses. The study participants were 2,816 adolescents (52.34% male). The SEM showed that positive communication and parental praise can directly reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents (path coefficients of -0.24 and -0.13 [p < .001], respectively). Additionally, both positive communication and positive parent-adolescent interactions can reduce adolescents' depressive symptoms by heightening the intermediate factor of parental praise (path coefficients of 0.30 and 0.44 [p < .001], respectively). Conversely, positive parent-adolescent interactions did not negatively affect adolescents' depressive symptoms, as we hypothesized. High level of positive parenting negatively predicts the level of depressive symptoms among adolescents. Specifically, positive communication, positive parent-adolescent communication, and parental praise are the main protective factors related to positive parenting for adolescents' depressive symptoms.

Impacts of ICT penetration shaping nonworking time use on indirect carbon emissions: Evidence from Chinese households

People's time use is crucial for carbon emissions related to lifestyles. Increasing the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in everyday life changes time-use patterns and, thus, affects emissions. This study proposes a two-way fixed effects model following the stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) framework to explore the impacts of ICT penetration and household average weekly nonworking time on household indirect emissions. Based on 2010–2018 panel data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS), the results show that a 1% increase in household average weekly nonworking time can lead to a 0.169% decrease in emissions by substituting consumption with time. In contrast, a 1% increase in the proportion of family members using a mobile phone or the proportion of family members surfing the internet can increase emissions by 0.107% or 0.127% by increasing electricity and communication consumption. ICT penetration moderates the relationship between nonworking time and emissions, which suggests that ICT amplifies the impact of nonworking time by reducing the consumption of activities and shaping the time-use pattern to be less carbon intensive.

Employment of Land-Expropriated Farmers: The Effects of Land Expropriation and Gender Difference

The employment inequality between males and females in the context of land expropriation is not conducive for land-expropriated farmers to earn a sustainable livelihood. In this study, based on the data of two waves of household surveys, the “Chinese Family Panel Study” in 2016 and 2018, the PSM-DID method is used to test the effects of land expropriation on the employment behavior of the rural labor force, and the heterogeneous results of men’s and women’s employment behaviors are analyzed. The following conclusions are drawn. Land expropriation significantly reduces the employment probability of the labor force, encouraging the rural labor force to withdraw from the labor market voluntarily; land expropriation significantly shortens the employment distance of the labor force overall, promoting the urbanization of the rural labor force in the vicinity; land expropriation has a greater impact on the unemployment of the female labor force than that of the male labor force, and it increases the employment distance of males and reduces that of females, promoting the return of females’ labor to the family. The policy significance of this study is to attach importance to the long-term sustainable livelihoods of rural households and the employment equality of males and females in urbanization. Findings suggest family–friendly compensation for land expropriation should be formulated, rural construction land should be allowed to enter the market instead of being expropriated, and cooperation between county and developed regions should be encouraged for the creation of more jobs.

Personality Traits and Household Entrepreneurship: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Household entrepreneurship can not only promote the sustainable development of the national economy, but also reduce unemployment. However, the urban-rural dual pattern leads to systematic differences in household entrepreneurship. This heterogeneity complicates the relationship between personality traits and household entrepreneurship. In order to study this complex relationship, this study empirically analyzed the influence of personality traits on entrepreneurial decisions and entrepreneurial returns of urban and rural households. Specifically, this study adopts the well-known “Big Five” personality classification criteria in the literature and constructs Probit, Tobit, and Heckman models based on the data of Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2016 and 2018. The results determine those factors beneficial for entrepreneurship, and the return of entrepreneurship depends upon the optimism, rigorousness, and preciseness of the householder. Additionally, the unrestricted intention of the household’s head is not conducive to entrepreneurship. The relevant departments should thoroughly acknowledge the influence of personality traits on the effectiveness of policies while making relevant policies involving household entrepreneurship.