Regional Economic Development Level Research Articles

Contamination Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drains Flowing into the Yellow River of Ningxia

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a group of emerging contaminants causing detrimental effects on aquatic living organisms even at low doses. To investigate the contamination characteristics and ecological risks of PPCPs in drains flowing into the Yellow River of Ningxia, 21 PPCPs were detected and analyzed using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in this study. All 21 targeted compounds were detected in the drains, with total concentrations ranging from 47.52 to 1 700.96 ng·L-1. Ciprofloxacin, acetaminophen, benzophenone-3, and diethyltoluamide were the more commonly detected compounds, with detection frequencies exceeding 80%. The five highest-concentration PPCPs were acetaminophen, diethyltoluamide, caffeine, benzophenone-3, and levofloxacin, with the maximum concentrations of 597.21, 563.23, 559.00, 477.28, and 473.07 ng·L-1, respectively. Spatial analysis showed that the pollution levels of PPCPs in the drains of the four cities were different, with average concentrations of ∑PPCPs in the order of Yinchuan>Shizuishan>Wuzhong>Zhongwei. The total concentration of PPCPs before flowing into the Yellow River ranged from 124.82 to 1 046.61 ng·L-1. Source analysis showed that livestock and poultry breeding wastewater was the primary source for sulfadiazine and oxytetracycline, whereas medical wastewater was the primary source for levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The primary sources of triclocarban and triclosan were domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, whereas the primary source of caffeine and diethyltoluamide was domestic sewage. The pollution of diciofenac, cimetidine, triclocarban, and triclosan in the drains was positively correlated with the regional population and economic development level. The ecological risk assessment indicated that levofloxacin, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, benzophenone-3, and triclocarban posed high risks to aquatic organisms in drains flowing into the Yellow River. It is worthwhile to consider the mixture risk of the PPCPs that exhibited high risk at most sampling sites.

Research on the Impact of China's Import and Export Trade on Carbon Emission under the Perspective of Carbon Emission Reduction ——Empirical Evidence Based on Provincial Panel Data

With the development of economic globalization, China's import and export trade with other countries around the world has become increasingly frequent. However, the huge energy gap has led to serious environmental pollution problems in China, and how to realize sustainable development has become an important issue. Therefore, based on the research of scholars at home and abroad, this paper utilizes the panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2012 to 2021 as well as the method of multiple stepwise regression to study the influencing factors of carbon emissions in China. The results show that China has achieved some success in improving the level of regional economic development, transitioning from traditional finance to green finance, and improving the level of scientific and technological development, which can effectively curb the growth of carbon emissions; however, the total amount of import and export trade, the level of advanced industrial structure, and the energy structure are still the key factors hindering the cause of carbon emission reduction.

Exploring factors influencing farmers’ health self-assessment in China based on the LASSO method

As the main force and practice subject of rural revitalisation, farmers' health is intricately linked to agricultural production and the rural economy. This study utilizes open data from the 2015 China Nutrition and Health Survey and employs the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method to explore the factors influencing farmers' self-assessment of health. The findings reveal that education level, proactive nutrition knowledge seeking, healthy dietary preferences and habits, and the use of clean cooking fuel positively impact farmers' health self-assessment. Conversely, age, history of illness or injury, and participation in medical insurance negatively affect their self-assessment. Furthermore, factors influencing farmers' health self-assessment exhibit heterogeneity across regions. Our findings suggest that promoting health education, disseminating nutritional dietary knowledge, and enhancing rural household infrastructure play an important role in improving farmers' self-evaluation of health. Therefore, policymakers should design more targeted health interventions and infrastructure improvement plans based on farmers' self-assessment of health and the level of regional economic development.

A Study on the Measurement of Regional Energy Consumption Efficiency and Decomposition of Its Influencing Factors in China: New Evidence for Achieving SDGs

With the growth of global population and economic development, people are facing the problem of increasing scarcity of renewable energy and unsustainable energy use. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, research on energy consumption efficiency has become particularly important. This research evaluates the energy consumption efficiency of 270 cities in China through an improved EBM model and finds a common phenomenon of low energy consumption efficiency in the cities, with the highest efficiency in northeast China and the lowest efficiency in eastern China. In addition, the efficiency of industrial exhaust emissions most significantly positively correlates with the efficiency of employed population and total energy consumption efficiency, while the efficiency of regional GDP does not significantly correlate with the efficiency of the two input variables. Using the LMDI method to decompose the driving factors of energy consumption efficiency in the cities, we find that the most important factor affecting energy consumption efficiency is their own energy endowment. Therefore, to improve the energy consumption efficiency of its cities, the China government should comprehensively consider factors such as regional economic development level, industrial structure, and technological level differences, formulate relevant energy-saving and emission-reduction policies, focus on optimizing the energy consumption structure, encourage technological progress and innovation, and help increase investment in science and technology.

Can information technology construction alleviate household energy poverty? Empirical evidence from the “broadband China” Pilot Policy

Energy poverty poses a significant challenge to global sustainable development. With the rapid advancement of information technology, understanding its role in alleviating energy poverty holds great practical significance. This paper conducts a case study of the “Broadband China” pilot policy implemented by the Chinese government and utilizes panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) over the 2012–2018 period. In a difference-in-differences framework, we empirically investigate the alleviation effects of information technology construction on household energy poverty and its underlying mechanisms. The main findings indicate that (1) information technology construction significantly alleviates household energy poverty and demonstrates a sustained alleviation effect. These results remain valid after a series of robustness tests. (2) Heterogeneity analysis suggests that factors such as the regional economic development level and geographical location distribution can cause varying impacts of information technology on alleviating energy poverty. (3) Mechanism analysis reveals that information technology construction can alleviate household energy poverty through two potential channels: raising residents’ income levels and enhancing their environmental awareness. The conclusions of this paper provide valuable insights into leveraging information technology construction to alleviate energy poverty.

Dynamic evolution and spatial difference of public health service supply in economically developed provinces of China: typical evidence from Guangdong Province

ObjectiveThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention from all sectors of society to the level of public health services. This study aims to investigate the level of public health service supply in the four major regions of Guangdong Province, providing a basis for optimizing health resource allocation.MethodsThis article uses the entropy method and panel data of 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province from 2005 to 2021 to construct the evaluation index system of public health service supply and calculate its supply index. On this basis, the standard deviation ellipse method, kernel density estimation, and Markov chain are used to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution trend of the public health service supply level in Guangdong Province. The Dagum Gini coefficient and panel regression model are further used to analyze the relative differences and the key influencing factors of difference formation. Finally, the threshold effect model is used to explore the action mechanism of the key factors.ResultsOverall, the level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province is on an upward trend. Among them, polarization and gradient effects are observed in the Pearl River Delta and Eastern Guangdong regions; the balance of public health service supply in Western Guangdong and Northern Mountainous areas has improved. During the observation period, the level of public health services in Guangdong Province shifted towards a higher level with a smaller probability of leapfrogging transition, and regions with a high level of supply demonstrated a positive spillover effect. The overall difference, intra-regional difference and inter-regional difference in the level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province during the observation period showed different evolutionary trends, and spatial differences still exist. These differences are more significantly positively affected by factors such as the level of regional economic development, the degree of fiscal decentralization, and the urbanization rate. Under different economic development threshold values, the degree of fiscal decentralization and urbanization rate both have a double threshold effect on the role of public health service supply level.ConclusionThe overall level of public health service supply in Guangdong Province has improved, but spatial differences still exist. Key factors influencing these differences include the level of regional economic development, the degree of fiscal decentralization, and the urbanization rate, all of which exhibit threshold effects. It is suggested that, in view of the actual situation of each region, efforts should be made to build and maintain their own advantages, enhance the spatial linkage of public health service supply, and consider the threshold effects of key factors in order to optimize the allocation of health resources.

The Heterogeneous Impact of Changes in the Age Structure of China’s Elderly Population on Regional Economic Development

Abstract Currently, the impact of population aging on economic development is mainly explored from the dimension of time, ignoring the Heterogeneity between the two. In this paper, we start by measuring the regional economic development level index, use the entropy value method to solve the index weights, and calculate the regional economic development level index using the linear weighting method. The regional development level index is used as an explanatory variable to construct the baseline regression model and the dynamic panel model for the change in the age structure of the elderly population. The panel data of 31 provinces (cities/autonomous regions) in China are used as examples to explore the heterogeneous effects of age structure changes on regional economic development of the elderly population. The results show that when the age structure change of the elderly population increases by 1%, the regional economic development level rises by 0.782%, and the age structure change of the elderly population is positively and significantly affecting the quality of economic development in the central and western regions at the 1% level. The regression coefficient of population aging in the low level stage is 0.007. The effect on the regional economic development level is significantly positive at the 1%. The age structure change of the elderly population affects the regional economic development by mediating health consumption expenditure. The age structure change of the elderly population has Heterogeneity in regional economic development in terms of period, region, and level at different stages.

Effect of forest cover on lung cancer incidence: a case study in Southwest China.

Forests are closely linked to human health, particularly about lung cancer incidence. However, there is currently limited research on how forest coverage and different types of forests influence lung cancer rates. This study aims to address this gap by examining how the coverage of various forest types impacts lung cancer incidence in Southwest China, thereby providing theoretical support for health-oriented forest structure planning. We focused on 438 counties in Southwest China, employing spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran's I) and spatial regression models [including Spatial Lag Model (SLM), Spatial Error Model (SEM), and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM)] to explore the effects of forest coverage and internal forest structure on lung cancer incidence. We used ArcGIS to visualize lung cancer incidence and forest coverage rates across the study area. The study found a significant negative correlation between forest coverage and lung cancer incidence. Specifically, for every 1% increase in forest coverage, lung cancer incidence decreased by 0.017 levels. Evergreen forests and mixed forests showed a significant negative impact on lung cancer rates, with evergreen forests having a particularly strong effect; a 1% increase in evergreen forest coverage was associated with a 0.027 level decrease in lung cancer incidence. In contrast, deciduous forests had no significant impact. Additionally, the study revealed a marked spatial heterogeneity in lung cancer incidence and forest coverage across Southwest China: higher lung cancer rates were observed in the eastern regions, while forest coverage was predominantly concentrated in the western and southern regions. This study demonstrates that increasing forest coverage, particularly of evergreen and mixed forests, can help reduce lung cancer incidence. This effect may be related to the ability of forests to absorb harmful gasses and particulate matter from the air. Furthermore, the spatial heterogeneity in lung cancer incidence suggests that regional economic development levels and urbanization processes may also play significant roles in the spatial distribution of lung cancer rates. The findings provide empirical support for the development of targeted forest conservation and development policies aimed at optimizing regional forest structures to reduce the risk of lung cancer.

Digital transformation, intelligent device utilization, and carbon emission reduction

In the context of China's rapidly growing digital economy, exploring the potential to reduce carbon emissions from the perspective of enterprise digitization is of vital practical significance for achieving ambitious "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" goals. This paper uses data from A-share listed companies as a sample pool spanning the years 2014–2020 and finds that a nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship exists between enterprise digital transformation and carbon emissions. We further construct several robustness tests and show that the effect remains significant after accounting for the endogeneity issue using IV regressions. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effect of digital transformation on carbon emissions is influenced by the regional economic development level and the ownership structure of enterprises. Notably, in non-state-owned enterprises and economically advanced regions, the influence of digital transformation on carbon emissions becomes more pronounced. This paper provides explicit policy implications. It is suggested that enterprises accelerate their digital transformation by integrating smart device development into their production and operations and government should give support to digital transformation to facilitate industrial upgrading, and further promote China's pursuit of high-quality and sustainable economic development.

The welfare effects of digital infrastructure: Micro-level evidence from China

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has achieved remarkable progress in rural infrastructure development. Although some empirical studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between the provision of digital infrastructure and increases in agricultural output and farmer income in various developing countries, research exploring the impact of digital infrastructure on rural households’ welfare is rare. This gap represents a significant issue for policymakers and academic researchers in developing countries today. By matching micro-survey data with county-level digital infrastructure investment data, this paper empirically examines the effects and mechanisms of digital infrastructure on the welfare of rural households using ordered probit and mediation models. We found that digital infrastructure has a significant impact on rural households’ overall welfare levels. Mechanism testing revealed that digital infrastructure operates through at least three distinct pathways, positively affecting both the economic and non-economic welfare of rural households. Additionally, the level of human capital and regional economic development exhibit notable heterogeneous effects on the impact of digital infrastructure. The validity of the results was demonstrated through instrumental variable regression and a series of robustness tests. The reason behind this result lies in the fact that the improvement of digital infrastructure in rural areas enhances households’ ability to access resources, develop skills, and engage in decision-making processes. This objectively improves their living standards and meets their needs. The empirical findings of this study have important policy implications for strengthening rural digital infrastructure, further enhancing rural households’ digital skills, and ultimately improving their overall welfare.

The impact of green finance on carbon emission efficiency

Green finance plays a pivotal role in guiding and incentivizing private capital to invest in low-carbon industries and initiatives. This study utilizes data of Chinese cities from 2006 to 2022 to investigate the influence of green finance on carbon emission efficiency. The results show that green finance significantly contributes to enhancing carbon emission efficiency. The impact of green finance on carbon emission efficiency is subject to a dual threshold effect, which depends on the level of regional economic development. Regional innovation emerges as a vital channel through which green finance influences carbon emission efficacy. Moreover, the sensitivity of carbon emission efficiency to the green finance index shows an inverted U-shaped trend. Green support is most significant in green finance sub-dimensions. These findings provide valuable theoretical support for the role of green finance in fostering carbon efficiency improvement and provide essential insights for formulating effective policy strategies.

The effects of equalization of regional basic public services on multidimensional vulnerability: evidence from China

ABSTRACT Based on the four waves of micro panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study uses a two-way fixed effect model to analyse the impact of equalization of regional basic public services on the multidimensional vulnerability of families and its mechanism. The main findings of this study are as follows, firstly, regional basic public services and its equalization can significantly alleviate the multidimensional vulnerability of families; Secondly, regional basic public services and its equalization can reduce the multidimensional vulnerability of families by improving the level of regional economic development; Thirdly, the impact of regional basic public services and its equalization on the multidimensional vulnerability of households vary significantly among different groups, urban and rural areas, and different regions.

Decomposition of agriculture-related non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in Chengdu: 1995–2020

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions originating from agricultural systems exert a significant influence on climate change. The exploration of potential driving factors and emission trends based on a city is important for policy-makers and land managers, however has been rarely known. We aim to investigate the potential driving factors behind five non-CO2 sources within Chengdu's agricultural sector spanning 1995 to 2020, including rice cultivation (CH4), agricultural land (N2O), manure management (CH4 and N2O), and enteric fermentation (CH4), and project non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Chengdu's agricultural sector for the period from 2021 to 2035. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition model was adopted to figure out the influencing factors, while Monte Carlo simulation and scenario analysis were applied to predict the agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions from 2021 to 2035. Results reveal that non-CO2 GHG emissions from Chengdu's agriculture exhibit fluctuations and declines, with N2O emissions from agricultural land being the most substantial source. Driving actors such as emission intensity (EI), agricultural industrial structure (IS), and rural population (RP) contribute to carbon emission reductions, resulting in reductions of 8.10, 4.25, and 0.91 million tons (Mt), respectively. Conversely, the regional economic development level (EDL), and urbanization rate (URB) are the primary drivers behind increased agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions, leading to emissions of 8.91 and 2.35 Mt, respectively. Ultimately, the predictive analysis demonstrates that, under the technological breakthrough scenario, Chengdu's agricultural non-CO2 GHG emissions are projected to peak in 2025, with an expected value of only 2.28 Mt. This study offered practical guidance for mitigating non-CO2 GHG emissions in city-level agriculture.

Innovative Paths of Modern Fiscal and Financial Systems to Assist the Coordinated Development of Regional Economy

Abstract The coupling and coupling coordination degree model is used in this paper to classify the coupling coordination degree level of industry and regional economic development. According to the correlation between the fiscal, taxation, and financial system and regional economic development, the coupling driving mechanism algorithm is selected to analyze the degree of assistance of the fiscal, taxation, and financial systems to the coordinated development of the regional economy. Taking the analysis of the Chongqing tourism industry and regional economic development level as an example, the coupling degree relationship between fiscal, tax and financial policies on regional economic development is analyzed according to the coupling coordination degree. The degree of financialization in the northern coastal economic zone is the highest at 4.4885, and the degree of financial deepening in the southern coastal integrated economic zone is 3.7621 lower than that in the northern region, but the coefficient of its β1′ is 0.0207, which indicates that it has a positive regulating effect on the development of the regional economy.

Recent Trend in the Prevalence and Correlates of Depression Among Chinese Young Adults from 2010 to 2018

As a result of globalization, Chinese young adults who transit to adulthood currently are being exposed to a combination of traditional Chinese values such as collectivism and Confucian philosophy, as well as Western individualism. We analyzed the trends in depression prevalence within an 8-year period using panel data derived from young adults in China. The investigation further delved into the multifaceted correlates of depression, including demographic profiles, health-related parameters, and consequential life events. Data were obtained from five cycles, 2010 to 2018, of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Participants included adults aged 18 to 24 years (total analytic sample N = 15,442). Depression symptoms increased in prevalence in Chinese young adults over the eight years; therefore, depression screening should be regularly conducted in this demographic. This study highlights the issue’s gravity and suggests potential correlations with cultural, regional economic development level, gender, religion, hukou (household registration), lifestyle, chronic health conditions, on-going school attendance, and marital factors.

Can China's carbon intensity constraint policies improve carbon emission performance? Evidence from regional carbon emissions

Carbon Intensity Constraint Policies (CICPs) are vital for addressing climate change challenges and advancing sustainable development. Since 2010, China has rolled out three five-year CICPs. However, there is limited understanding of their impact on carbon emission performance (CEP). Addressing this, this study pioneers the exploration of the CICP's impact on China's CEP. Drawing from government intervention and green paradox theories, this study highlights a concerning scenario: local governments achieve emission targets via excessive intervention. For deeper insights, this study melds the overall technology frontier concept with a non-radial, non-angle directional distance function, introducing a novel efficiency model rooted in the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. This offers a CEP measure across 30 Chinese provincial regions from 2002 to 2019. Using the quasi-difference-in-differences (quasi-DID) and moderated mediation models, this study ascertains the presence of the green paradox, uncovers its reasons, and suggests mitigation strategies. The results indicate that high government intervention diminishes CEP. This negative effect intensifies under greater regional fiscal pressure. Alarmingly, local authorities' eagerness to meet targets shows a counterproductive, inverted N-shaped trend regarding CICPs' time-based influence on regional CEP. Moreover, the impact varies based on regional economic development levels and stages. This study has ensured the robustness of the findings via parallel trend tests, parallel exclusion policies, a strengthened quasi-DID framework, and diverse control variable configurations. This study underscores the need for more balanced government intervention. It offers valuable policy insights, guiding China's upcoming CICP phase to realize the ambition of peaking carbon by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

Evaluation of Urban Logistics Competitiveness Based on Principal Component Analysis

The level of regional economic development is, to a certain extent, reflected by the logistics competitiveness of cities. This paper selects the logistics competitiveness of 21 cities in Sichuan Province, in order to assess the level of logistics competitiveness of cities in Sichuan Province, selects 21 provincial and municipal cities to get logistics indicators, using SPSS 23.0 software to get the evaluation results of the principal components of the analysis and sorting, and based on the results of the evaluation of the development of the corresponding recommendations. The results show that the evaluation results analyzed by the software are basically in line with the actual situation and can provide a reference basis for government departments to guide the development of cities.

The Effect of Economic Development Level on the Spatial Diffusion Characteristics of Western Food Brands

This study uses KFC as a representative brand of Western fast food to reflect the consumption ability of food, and Starbucks as a representative brand of the beverage industry to reflect the consumption ability of beverage, defines an S/K formula, compares the data with the level of regional economic development in order to present a certain correlation, and explores the spatial distribution characteristics of KFC and Starbucks, the influence of cultural institutions and economic influences on spatial selection. The study found that the ratio of the number of Starbucks stores to the number of KFC stores showed a positive relationship with the level of economic development (i.e., GDP and GDP per capita). The study not only empirically complements the current research on the spatial expansion of multinational retail firms but also provides validation for the theory of the spatial expansion of firms. At the same time, the study can provide some reference for site selection for other brands in similar fields entering the market.

The impact of digital inclusive finance on farmers' income level: evidence from China's major grain production regions

This paper finds that digital inclusive finance can improve farmers' income level, and has a more significant income increasing effect on low-income farmers. The three sub dimensions of digital inclusive finance have a positive effect on the income level of farmers. The level of regional economic development, farmers' entrepreneurial and employment behavior, and income distribution effect are positively moderating.

Correlation between air pollution and cognitive impairment among older individuals: empirical evidence from China

BackgroundLittle information is available regarding the impact of air pollution on cognitive impairment in older individuals in developing countries. This study empirically tested the impacts of the air quality index (AQI), air pollution intensity (quantified by the number of days of extreme air pollution in a year), and different pollutants on the cognitive abilities of older Chinese individuals.MethodsA panel of 28,395 participants spanning 122 cities in 2015 and 2018 was used, based on 3-year follow-up survey data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. Data from the two phases of the CHARLS microsurvey were combined with relevant statistical data on air pollution in each region in the current year. These two surveys were used to investigate changes in basic health and macro-environmental indicators in older individuals in China, and a mean difference test was conducted. We then reduced the sample selection error by controlling for environmental migration and used two-way fixed and instrumental variable methods for endogenous treatment to avoid the estimation error caused by missing variables.ResultsAir pollution had a significantly negative effect on the cognitive abilities of older individuals (odds ratio [OR]: 1.4633; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.20899–1.77116). Different pollution intensities(only AQI value is greater than 200 or more) had apparent effects on cognitive impairment, with an OR of approximately 1.0. Sulfur dioxide had significantly negative effects on cognitive ability, with OR of 1.3802 (95% CI: 1.25779–1.51451). Furthermore, air pollution impact analysis showed heterogeneous results in terms of age, sex, education, and regional economic development level. In addition, social adaptability (calculated using social participation, learning, adaptability, and social support) not only had a significant positive effect on the cognitive abilities of older individuals, but also regulated the cognitive decline caused by air pollution.ConclusionsAir pollution affects cognitive impairment in older individuals, especially in those with lower education levels, and living in economically underdeveloped areas. This effect is synchronous and has a peak at an AQI of > 200.