Rural Areas Of China Research Articles

Health-seeking behaviours of the families with older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic in rural China: a qualitative inquiry from the perspective of migration and social support networks

IntroductionHealth behaviours during a public health crisis for families with vulnerable ageing relatives are worth studying. After the Chinese government’s zero-tolerance policy on COVID-19 ended at the close of 2022,...

Can agricultural financial support promote high-quality development in rural areas of China?

ABSTRACT This study evaluates the degree of high-quality rural development in China’s 31 provinces from 2012 to 2020 from five aspects, employing CRITIC method. On this foundation, this paper investigate the impact of agricultural financial support on high-quality rural development (HQRD) using a fixed effects model. The research findings indicate that agricultural financial support promotes industrial prosperity and affluent living, thereby driving HQRD. The mechanism of this impact is that financial support can encourage the construction of rural infrastructure, the expansion of rural technological innovation, and the enthusiasm for rural entrepreneurial activities. The paper provides relevant suggestions for the areas that the government should focus on when using financial support to promote HQRD.

Exploring land system reform for demographic transition in rural China

Rural population in China has undergone dramatic changes driven by large-scale industrialization and urbanization. However, under the current land system, it is difficult to adjust rural land resource allocation according to population changes, resulting in an imbalance in the human-land relationship of rural China and restricting the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. Therefore, there is an urgent need to further promote land system reform to cope with rural demographic transition and the challenges it brings to rural human-land relationship and provide institutional support for rural revitalization in the new era. The results show that population contraction, population aging, and below-replacement fertility are the main features of China's rural population transition in 1990–2020, which brings about problems such as the aging and weaking of social actors and non-grain farming. Meanwhile, the disconnect between land-use transition and demographic transition determines that inefficient land use, mainly characterized by cropland abandonment and homestead idle, is prevalent in rural China. Focusing on the trend of demographic transition in rural China, deepening the reform of contracted land, steadily advancing the reform of homesteads, and strengthening the provision of supporting policies are needed. These measures aim to promote the capitalization and assetization of land resources through the introduction of market mechanisms and empowerment, thus enhancing land resource allocation efficiency and optimizing rural human-land relationship.

Physical and mechanical characterization of solid waste collected from rural areas of China: Experimental study

To support the landfill design and waste management in rural areas of China, solid waste covering eight provisional regions was collected and tested in the laboratory to characterize its physical properties (composition, moisture content, specific gravity, dry unit weight) and mechanical properties (compressibility and shear strength). The results show that, compared with solid wastes from urban areas (MSW), solid waste from rural areas (RSW) comprised a much lower content of soil-like, gravel, and inert waste and a significantly higher content of combustible waste, thereby yielding a much lower specific gravity and dry unit weight. Similar to MSW, the compression index of RSW correlated well with its physical properties. However, its strength properties displayed divergence. Notably, the friction angle φ' of RSW remained relatively consistent, ranging from 28.4° to 30.9°. This narrow range is attributed to RSW's higher combustible-to-inert (CI) ratio compared to MSW. The cohesion intercept c' of RSW ranged from 13.5 to 24.9 kPa, showing a positive correlation with the fiber content without considering contribution from paper waste. This finding combined with data from the literature further revealed that the trend of increasing cohesion intercept with increasing fiber content became weakened over time. Relationships between φ' and c' versus C/I for RSW observed in this study will serve as an extension to the existing finding reported for MSW in the literature, i.e., for predominately combustible waste with C/I exceeding 10, constant values of strength parameters (i.e., moderate values φ' = 30°, c' = 20 kPa) are recommended. The results of this study are useful for the capacity design and slope stability analysis of landfills as well as waste recycle and reuse, ensuring a sustainable development of environment in China.

Affordability, Accessibility, and Quality of Maternal Health Care Services and Level of Satisfaction of Mothers in Rural Areas in China

Objective: This study aimed to understand the affordability, accessibility, and quality of maternal and child health services for postpartum mothers, and their impact on satisfaction. Methods: The study utilized the Anderson model and revised the Maternal Pregnancy and Perinatal Health Service Questionnaire. A survey was conducted among 289 mothers aged 20–49 in Feicheng City. Results: Regarding accessibility, most respondents (133) reported that travel time to healthcare services exceeded 60 minutes, while 99 respondents indicated a travel time of 16–30 minutes. The issue of affordability was highlighted, with 86.85% of participants perceiving maternal healthcare services as costly, indicating a significant financial burden. More than 50% of respondents were satisfied with two specific dimensions (P < 0.05) regarding the quality of maternal healthcare services. Conclusion: The study found that accessibility, affordability, and quality significantly affect mothers’ satisfaction with maternal health services. Future research should focus on developing more suitable service pathways for rural mothers.

The Dilemmas and Countermeasures for the Development of Elderly Human Resources under the Background of Rural Revitalization: A Case Study of Handan City, Hebei Province

Currently, the aging population in rural areas of China is constantly intensifying. In order to further promote the rural revitalization strategy, consolidate poverty alleviation achievements, develop elderly human resources, fill the local labor gap, promote economic development, and improve the level of rural social governance, this article takes Handan City, Hebei Province as an example to propose solutions to the difficulties faced in the development of elderly human resources in rural areas.

Exploring interactive behaviours of urban and rural teachers in blended synchronous classrooms: Insights from a proposed interaction analysis framework

Blended synchronous classrooms (BSCs) play a critical role in narrowing the educational gap between urban and rural areas in China, promoting educational equity. In BSCs, the quantity and quality of interactive teaching behaviours of urban and rural teachers may significantly influence the learning experiences of students in both urban and rural settings, and they are supposed to be different from interactive teaching behaviours that happen in traditional classrooms. However, there is limited research on the characteristics of such interactive teaching behaviours in BSCs. To address the gap, this study first proposed an interaction analysis framework for BSCs (IAF4BSCs) and then examined the interactive teaching behaviours of urban and rural teachers in BSCs using this framework, along with various learning analytics methods including lag sequential analysis, frequent sequence mining and thematic analysis. The data analysis yielded the following results: (1) Urban teachers exhibited more speech behaviours such as lecturing and providing immediate feedback, whereas rural teachers engaged more in non-speech behaviours like classroom patrols. (2) Despite the expectation for urban teachers to interact equally with urban and rural students in BSCs, they predominantly focused on urban students. (3) Urban teachers demonstrated diverse interaction sequences with both urban and rural students, whereas rural teachers primarily interacted with rural students. (4) Interviews with teachers and students revealed both positive and negative aspects of interactive teaching behaviours in BSCs. Based on these findings, the study proposed three pedagogical recommendations to enhance interactive teaching behaviours in BSCs: increasing interactive participation, integrating technology more effectively and emphasizing post-class assessment.

Orderly and synergistic development of urban-rural integration based on evolutionary game model: A case study in the Jiangxi Province, China

The orderly synergy is crucial to the integrated development of urban and rural areas in China. The orderly synergistic development process can be regarded as a game of balancing the interests of rural and urban areas. Therefore, numerical simulations with scenario analysis using the evolutionary game approach are conducted to investigate the orderly synergistic development of urban-rural integration. The results show that: (1) The values of orderly synergistic benefits of urban-rural integration are negatively correlated with the Nash equilibrium values at the municipal and provincial levels. (2) The orderly synergistic benefits of policy and market environments have different strategic choices and behavioral constraints for both urban and rural areas. (3) The benefits of “market-oriented” urban-rural choices are greater than those of “policy-oriented” directions. At the municipal level, the main factors influencing the choice of a “market-oriented” direction are the increased benefits of water resources, land resources, rural population mobility, and urban innovation factors. while at the provincial level, all factors lead to urban-rural trends in a “policy-oriented” direction.

Listing Villages for Conservation: Practices and Impacts of the Village Conservation Project in China

ABSTRACT Due to the rapid destruction and disappearance of villages caused by mass urbanisation in China over the past decades, the Chinese government launched in the 1990s a nationwide ‘village conservation project.’ Villages are officially viewed as a fundamental component of Chinese society, integrating essential elements of Chinese heritage and culture. Consequently, the government has created multiple officially recognised lists to restore, protect, and showcase traditional villages, such as wenwu baohu danwei (cultural relics protection units), lishi wenhua mingcun (historical and cultural villages), chuantong cunluo (traditional villages), xiangcun lvyou zhongdiancun (rural tourism key villages), and meili yiju cunzhuang (beautiful and livable villages). By examining the implementation process of this ‘village conservation project’, this study reveals the motivations and impacts of the Chinese government’s efforts in listing villages for conservation and development. This study contributes to museum and heritage studies by providing a lens for understanding the conservation practices in rural areas in China.

Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and modifiable risk factors: A cross-sectional study in rural older adults with diabetes

To determine the prevalence and modifiable risk factors for MCI in older adults with T2DM in rural China. This cross-sectional study encompassed 96 villages, employing a cluster sampling approach to recruit eligible older adults with T2DM as study participants. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify modifiable risk factors associated with MCI. Average marginal effects were calculated. The discriminatory performance of these risk factors in identifying MCI was evaluated by plotting the receiver operating curve and calculating the value of the area under the curve. A total of 898 older adults with T2DM in our study. The overall prevalence of MCI was 50.22 %. Independent associations with MCI were found in poor self-management ability of diabetes (OR = 0.808, 95 % CI: 0.808, 0.766), depressive symptoms (OR = 3.500, 95 % CI: 1.933, 6.337), moderate (OR = 0.936, 95 % CI: 0.017, 0.075) and high (OR = 0.939, 95 % CI: 0.016, 0.100) levels of physical activity, poorer oral health (OR = 2.660, 95 % CI: 2.226, 3.179), and lower grip strength (OR = 0.913, 95 % CI: 0.870, 0.958). The AUC was 0.967 (95 % CI 0.508–0.470). The prevalence of MCI was high among older adults with T2DM in rural areas of China. The self-management ability of diabetes, depressive symptoms, physical activity, oral health and grip strength were modifiable risk factors of MCI. Targeted interventions should be developed and implemented to address these modifiable risk factors, aiming to enhance cognitive function and mitigate the incidence of MCI in older adults with T2DM.

Is it a matter of design?

Rural and urban areas in China have traditionally represented contrasting realms, largely due to the country’s dual social structure. However, efforts to reduce inequalities and encourage harmonious planning are reshaping both urban and rural landscapes, leading to new hybridized forms of living. These transformations emphasize the importance of design disciplines in experimenting with innovative settlement models and architectural projects. Recognizing the interconnectedness and mutual dependence of urban and rural areas is a fertile perspective to frame the countryside as a significant frontier in China’s cutting-edge architectural movements. China’s rural revitalization strategy represents the latest initiative aimed at improving conditions in the Chinese countryside and enhancing the well-being of its residents. Aligned with the principles of ecological civilization, this policy calls for the development of new esthetic dimensions that reflect technological advancements, cultural diversity, socioeconomic values, and political narratives, echoing similar sustainable agendas worldwide. The contributions selected for this special issue showcase how various design attitudes have embodied the countryside development mandate in far-sighted proposals of transformation that addresses several crucial challenges of contemporary living, such as wealth distribution, economic stimulation, cultural heritage preservation, and the relationship with nature. These examples suggest that by challenging the ideological commitments supporting their feasibility, design practice, and research can be fundamental tools for reorienting policy formulation beyond solving specific issues through targeted design approaches.

A Comprehensive Research on China Rural Area Finance

A Comprehensive Research on China Rural Area Finance

Improving service accessibility and equity for sustainable development goals without newly facilities by rural settlement reconstruction

Ensuring the provision of accessible, affordable, and high-quality public services to all individuals aligns with one of the paramount aims of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the face of escalating urbanization and a dwindling rural populace in China, reconstructing rural settlements to enhance public service accessibility has become a fundamental strategy for achieving the SDGs in rural areas. However, few studies have examined the optimal methods for rural settlement reconstruction that ensure accessible and equitable public services while considering multiple existing facilities and service provisions. This paper focuses on rural settlement reconstruction in the context of the SDGs, employing an inverted MCLP-CC (maximal coverage location problem for complementary coverage) model to identify optimal rural settlements and a rank-based method for their relocation. Conducted in Changyuan, a county-level city in Henan Province, China, this study observed significant enhancements in both accessibility and equity following rural settlement reconstruction by utilizing the MH3SFCA (modified Huff 3-step floating catchment area) and the spatial Lorenz curve method. Remarkably, these improvements were achieved without the addition of new facilities, with the accessibility increasing by 44.21%, 4.97%, and 3.11%; Gini coefficients decreasing by 19.53%, 1.64%, and 3.18%; Ricci-Schutz coefficients decreasing by 21.09%, 2.09%, and 4.33% for educational, medical, and cultural and sports facilities, respectively. It indicated that rural settlement reconstruction can bolster the accessibility and equity of public services by leveraging existing facilities. This paper provides a new framework for stakeholders to better reconstruct rural settlements and promote sustainable development in rural areas in China.

Changes in food consumption and nutrition intake of rural residents in central China

Food security and diet diversity is essential to sustainable food system all over the world. As the income of rural residents achieves great increase, the structure of food consumption and food diversification face significant change. Rural residents' food consumption and nutrients intake worth more attention. Chinese government has been striving to achieve sustainable development in rural areas. We conducted this study to explore area-level practices aiming at achieving food and nutrition security in rural China. In order to search for the change principle and main influencing factors of residents' food consumption, three rural areas in Henan Province were selected. According to the data obtained from the Henan Province Bureau of Statistics, changes in food consumption from 2012 to 2021 in three rural areas were analyzed in this study. This study led to the following remarkable results: (1) The per capita consumption of poultry, meat, sugar, and eggs of the three rural residents has increased much more than that of other food items. (2) In the three rural areas, the proportions of grains, vegetables, liquor, and edible oils have decreased overall. The proportions of other categories, such as poultry, meat, and fruits, have increased. (3) The rural residents’ per capita nutrition intake has increased remarkably. The results provide some empirical foundation for local government who need suggest that rural residents should control their intake of high-energy food, such as poultry, meat, and sugar. This study has significant policy implication for achieving sustainable goals in rural areas of China.

Point-of-care Testing HbA1c screening for type 2 diabetes in urban and rural areas of China: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Point-of-care Testing (POCT) glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a convenient, cheap, effective and accessible screening method for type 2 diabetes in rural areas and community settings that is widely used in the European region and Japan, but not yet widespread in China. The study is the first to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of POCT HbA1c, fasting capillary glucose (FCG), and venous blood HbA1c to screen for type 2 diabetes in urban and rural areas of China, and to identify the best socio-economically beneficial screening strategy. Based on urban and rural areas in China, economic models for type 2 diabetes screening were constructed from a social perspective. The subjects of this study were adults aged 18-80 years with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. Three screening strategies were established for venous blood HbA1c, FCG and POCT HbA1c, and cost-effectiveness analysis was performed by Markov models. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed on all parameters of the model to verify the stability of the results. Compared with FCG, POCT HbA1c was cost-effective with an incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) of $500.06/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in urban areas and an ICUR of $185.10/QALY in rural areas, within the willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP = $37,653). POCT HbA1c was cost-effective with lower cost and higher utility compared with venous blood HbA1c in both urban and rural areas. In the comparison of venous blood HbA1c and FCG, venous blood HbA1c was cost-effective (ICUR = $20,833/QALY) in urban areas but not in rural areas (ICUR = $41,858/QALY). Sensitivity analyses showed that the results of the study were stable and credible. POCT HbA1c was cost-effective for type 2 diabetes screening in both urban and rural areas of China, which could be considered for future clinical practice in China. Factors such as geographic location, local financial situation and resident compliance needed to be considered when making the choice of venous blood HbA1c or FCG.

Study on the Function of Social Media in Rural Health Communication in the Context of Media Convergence

In today's era, the rapid development of Internet technology is driving profound changes in the media landscape. Media convergence, an irreversible development trend, is penetrating into multiple dimensions such as form, technology, platform, market, organization and users. In the all-media era, the deep integration of communities, neighborhoods, regions and cultures is having a profound impact on China's media ecosystem. With the advent of the network era, health communication is facing unprecedented new opportunities and challenges. The application of advanced technologies such as algorithms and cloud computing has provided a brand new way to popularize health knowledge. This not only makes the dissemination of health information more efficient, but also allows more people to access health-related knowledge conveniently. However, in China's rural areas, health communication still faces many problems. The China New Media Development Report reveals in detail the current situation of rural health communication in terms of creation, content, dissemination, and influence, pointing out problems such as lack of subject, insufficient traffic, and insufficient media capacity. The report emphasizes that the construction of health culture is of great significance to rural revitalization. This study aims to promote the development of rural health communication, so that the dividends of technology can truly benefit the countryside and improve the health of rural residents. To this end, we need to actively explore and practice to find effective solutions to promote the progress of rural health communication in China.

Chinese Government Enterprise Driven Strategies in Rural Poverty Alleviation - A Case Study of China's Rural Area of Henan

Chinese Government Enterprise Driven Strategies in Rural Poverty Alleviation - A Case Study of China's Rural Area of Henan

Microscopic Characterization of Individual Aerosol Particles in a Typical Industrial City and Its Surrounding Rural Areas in China.

Transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze individual aerosol particles collected in Lanzhou (urban site) and its surrounding areas (rural site) in early 2023. The results revealed that from the pre-Spring Festival period to the Spring Festival period, the main pollutants at the urban site decreased significantly, while the PM2.5 and SO2 concentrations increased at the rural site. During the entire sampling period, the main particles at the urban site were organic matter (OM), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), and OM-SIA particles, while those at the rural site were OM, SIA, and soot particles. The degree of external mixing of single particles in both sites increased from the pre-Spring Festival period to the Spring Festival period. The proportion of the OM particles increased by 11% at the urban site, and the proportion of SIA particles increased by 24% at the rural site. During the Spring Festival, the aging of the soot particles was enhanced at the urban site and weakened at the rural site. At the urban site, the SIA particle size was more strongly correlated with the thickness of the OM coating during the pre-Spring Festival period, while the correlation was stronger at the rural site during the Spring Festival.

Quantifying Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates by Rural and Urban Areas: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Vaccination plays an important role in preventing COVID-19 infection and reducing the severity of the disease. There are usually differences in vaccination rates between urban and rural areas. Measuring these differences can aid in developing more coordinated and sustainable solutions. This information also serves as a reference for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases in the future. This study aims to assess the current coverage rate and influencing factors of COVID-19 (second booster) vaccination among Chinese residents, as well as the disparities between urban and rural areas in China. This cross-sectional study used a stratified random sampling approach to select representative samples from 11 communities and 10 villages in eastern (Changzhou), central (Zhengzhou), western (Xining), and northeast (Mudanjiang) Mainland China from February 1 to February 18, 2023. The questionnaires were developed by experienced epidemiologists and contained the following: sociodemographic information, health conditions, vaccine-related information, information related to the Protective Motivation Theory (PMT), and the level of trust in the health care system. Vaccination rates among the participants were evaluated based on self-reported information provided. Binary logistic regression models were performed to explore influencing factors of vaccination among urban and rural participants. Urban-rural disparities in the vaccination rate were assessed using propensity score matching (PSM). A total of 5780 participants were included, with 53.04% (3066/5780) being female. The vaccination rate was 12.18% (704/5780; 95% CI 11.34-13.02) in the total sample, 13.76% (341/2478; 95% CI 12.40-15.12) among the rural participants, and 10.99% (363/3302; 95% CI 9.93-12.06) among the urban participants. For rural participants, self-reported health condition, self-efficacy, educational level, vaccine knowledge, susceptibility, benefits, and trust in the health care system were independent factors associated with vaccination (all P＜.05). For urban participants, chronic conditions, COVID-19 infection, subjective community level, vaccine knowledge, self-efficacy, and trust in the health care system were independent factors associated with vaccination (all P＜.05). PSM analysis uncovered a 3.42% difference in vaccination rates between urban and rural participants. The fourth COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate (second booster) among the Chinese population was extremely low, significantly lower than the previous vaccine coverage rate. Given that COVID-19 infection is still prevalent at low levels, efforts should focus on enhancing self-efficacy to expand the vaccine coverage rate among the Chinese population. For rural residents, building awareness of the vaccine's benefits and improving their overall health status should be prioritized. In urban areas, a larger proportion of people with COVID-19 and patients with chronic illness should be vaccinated.

Evaluation of urban–rural difference in breast cancer mortality among Chinese women during 1987–2021: A hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis

BackgroundBreast cancer mortality varies in urban and rural areas in China. Studies have reported urban–rural difference across time period, however, the evaluation on urban–rural differences in age and birth cohort effects is limited. Our aim was to quantitatively assess urban–rural disparities in age, period and cohort effects in breast cancer mortality in China. MethodsWe collected age-specific breast cancer mortality rates for urban and rural females aged 20–84 years from 1987 to 2021. Hierarchical age-period-cohort (HAPC) models were used to evaluate the effect of area (urban, rural) on breast cancer mortality and investigate urban–rural differences in age, time period and birth cohort effects. ResultsWe found a significant area (urban, rural) effect on breast cancer mortality in that rural females had a lower mortality risk than urban females [−0.25 (95 % confidence interval (CI): −0.32, −0.17)]. Age trajectories of mortality based on the HAPC model showed nonlinear trends with adjustment for area variable. The urban–rural difference in age effect appeared to be divergent with age, and urban women had higher mortality risk in the senior age group. The urban–rural difference in birth cohort effect indicated a reversal around the birth cohort group of 1962–1966, after which rural females had a higher mortality risk than urban females. ConclusionThe area (urban, rural) could affect breast cancer mortality among women, and the effect of urban–rural difference varies with age and birth cohort. To promote the health of urban and rural females, the gap between urban and rural areas should be shorten.