Urban Residents In China Research Articles

Development and psychometric testing of a scale for diet self-management among urban residents in China: a cross-sectional study.

DESIGN: The diet self-management scale (DSE-MS) items were identified and evaluated by literature and guideline review, expert consultation and pilot testing. Factor structure was tested by randomly dividing the sample into two equal groups for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The scale was further tested for internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity and known-group validity. A city in China. A total of 724 urban residents from a city in China participated in this study in 2023. The final DSE-MS included 45 items and showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.961. EFA identified 6 dimensions explaining 67.89% of the total variance: cognition (11 items), microenvironment (12 items), macroenvironment (4 items), safety management (7 items), nutrition management (6 items) and environment management (5 items). The CFA showed a good model fit of the six-dimension scale: χ2/df=1.8878, root mean square error of approximate=0.0496, Comparing Fit Index=0.9425, Incremental Fit Index=0.9428, Tucker-Lewis Index=0.9369 and standard root mean square residual=0.0525. Convergent validity was supported by high composite reliability (CR=0.89-0.96) and average variance extracted (AVE=0.58-0.72), while discriminant validity was confirmed by higher AVE estimates than the squared interconstruct correlations. The DSE-MS scores varied by various sample characteristics, verifying the known-group validity. The 6-factor 45-item DSE-MS had good psychometric properties assessing diet self-management among urban citizens. The scale can guide future intervention programmes to improve diet self-management and evaluate the intervention effect. Further validation of the DSE-MS in other populations in other areas is needed to verify its wide application.

Socio-spatial segregation in residents’ daily life: A longitudinal study in Beijing

Segregation studies based on human activity spaces have attracted increasing interest in urban geography and planning. Previously, most research employed variations in the geographical features of individuals' physical activity areas to ascertain social group segregation. A few studies have examined segregation based on one's activity space, comparing this over several years. This research conducts an empirical analysis based on people's activity space in Beijing to detect changes in segregation over time. We investigate activity space-based segregation among Beijing residents, separated into four housing categories for inner-city and suburban areas. The primary outcomes show residents living in different types of housing experience varying degrees of segregation when considering their activity spaces, which has progressed over the years. Furthermore, the findings show that the impact of changes in the built environment on the socio-spatial segregation of residents is gradually deepening, while the impact of institutional contexts such as danwei is gradually decreasing. In summary, this paper provides Beijing-based empirical evidence for this housing type differentiation and increasing segregation, which helps to enrich the understanding of activity space-based socio-spatial segregation of urban residents in China.

The Asymmetric Spillover Effects of Retirement on Disability: Evidence From China.

Recent research has explored the spillover effects of retirement on spousal well-being, yet limited attention has been given to the short-term impact on spousal disability. This study explored the asymmetric spillover impact of retirement on spouses' disability severity among a national cohort of urban residents in China. Utilizing 4 waves of data (2011-2018) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, we employ a nonparametric regression discontinuity design to estimate the short-term effect of retirement on spousal disability severity. Disability is assessed based on their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Furthermore, we conduct heterogeneity analysis stratified by factors such as the husband's retirement status, health conditions, lifestyle behaviors, and the wife's educational level. Additionally, we explore potential mechanisms including changes in health behaviors, emotions, and disease diagnoses. Our findings indicate that wives' retirement has a significant favorable short-term effect on husbands' ADL scores, with a magnitude of -0.644 points (-9.78% relative to baseline). A significant beneficial effect of wives' retirement on the prevalence of husbands' difficulty in dressing, bathing, and eating was observed with substantial magnitudes of 0.075, 0.201, and 0.051 points, respectively. Various heterogeneity analyses and sensitivity tests confirmed the robustness of our results. The positive spillover effect of wives' retirement likely results from reduced negative emotions in husbands. In contrast, husbands' retirement does not affect the prevalence of ADL/IADL disability in their wives. Underscoring the gender asymmetry in the effects of spousal retirement on disability, this study emphasizes the need for tailored policies considering men's and women's distinct disability experiences.

Reflections on urban E-bike governance: lessons from the Guangzhou case

ABSTRACT E-bikes have become one of the main modes of travel for urban residents in China; they provide convenient travel services but also present some problems for urban traffic safety and management. In view of the social concerns caused by restrictions of e-bikes in Guangzhou, this study discusses how to improve e-bike development while considering traffic management and travel. This paper analyses the comment data from Weibo and WeChat Mini Software and discusses the opinions of netizens. In addition, Weibo and WeChat comment data were reclassified into three different views. This study revealed that proponents and opponents share the same consensus that e-bike management should be strengthened. Additionally, with respect to understanding traffic restriction policy, conservative views suggest that policy implementation is for safety purposes and should be supported. The radical view is that restricting e-bikes is a one size fits all policy, which ignores the travel demand of e-bike riders, and that the government is strengthening the central position of motor vehicles. Finally, in terms of management, respondents believed that planning and legal construction should be strengthened and e-bikes should be managed with reference to motorized management policies and regulations to protect the rights and interests of all parties.

Public Attitudes towards and Management Strategies for Community Cats in Urban China.

Managing community cats in urban China is a contentious and emerging issue, with debates centering on the most effective and humane approaches. This study aimed to investigate public attitudes towards community cats and various management strategies. A survey was conducted involving 5382 urban residents in China. Their attitudes towards the positive and negative roles of community cats in urban areas and their support for different management methods were examined, including trap-and-kill, taking no action, centralized management, and trap-neuter-return (TNR) and its variations. Results indicated that 63% of participants were willing to coexist with community cats, 71% opposed trap-and-kill, and 61% agreed or strongly agreed with the TNR method and its variations. Older residents or those with higher incomes were more likely to support coexistence with community cats. In contrast, younger or lower-income residents were more likely to support non-coexistence. Residents in first- or second-tier cities (e.g., Beijing, Hangzhou, and Jinan Cities in China) were more inclined to support trap-and-kill and less likely to support coexistence than their counterparts in fourth-tier cities (e.g., county-level cities in China). Moreover, those with lower education or incomes were more supportive of trap-and-kill and taking no action as the methods to manage community cats than those with relatively higher education or incomes. Those with higher incomes held more positive attitudes towards community cats and were more supportive of TNR and its variations than their counterparts with lower incomes. Males were more inclined to support trap-and-kill and taking no action and less inclined to support centralized management and TNR than females. The implications of the findings on TNR with adoption programs in urban China are discussed. These novel findings underscore the need for targeted educational campaigns to promote humane and effective management strategies, addressing public concerns and community cats' welfare. The study's insights are critical for informing policy and improving community cat management in urban China.

Residents Preferences for Pharmacist-Managed Clinic in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

This study aimed to survey and analyze the preferences for pharmacist-managed clinic among urban residents in China. A discrete choice experiment was conducted in Nanjing, China. A D-efficient fractional factorial design was used to generate the questionnaire. Three models were used to investigate each patient's strength of preference and preference heterogeneity. The relative importance for each treatment attribute was also determined. 156 usable questionnaires (of 228 questionnaires sent out) were received. Respondents preferred pharmacist-managed clinics with the following characteristics: good pharmacists' knowledge and clinical medication practice competency, lower consultation fees, a dedicated consultation room, physician-pharmacist joint clinic, with pharmacists' knowledge competency receiving the highest priority. Latent class analysis revealed three classes (Experiential Type, Content Type and Economic Type) were identified based on respondents' preferences for pharmacist-managed clinics. The respondents were willing to choose a PMC relative to the current situation. When deciding on a pharmacist-managed clinic, residents are driven by pharmacists' competency, consultation fee, availability of consultation rooms and collaborative care or independent pharmacist service. Differences in patients' preferences identified in the study provide information on pharmacist-managed clinics that meet residents' expectations.

Impact of industrial intelligence on income inequality of urban residents in China

We construct a theoretical model based on the task-based approach to study how industrial intelligence affects the residents’ income gap through employment substitution and creation effect on different skilled labor, compensation effect on industries and industrial structure upgrading effect on industrial sectors. Subsequently, we present the benchmark regression analysis elucidating the impact of industrial intelligence on income inequality among urban residents in China. We employ a comprehensive set of control variables including economic development indicators, financial metrics, trade openness measures, government intervention variables, and other relevant factors to ensure the robustness of our findings. Furthermore, we explore heterogeneous effects to uncover how industrial intelligence affects income inequality differently across various demographic groups and regions. Based on our empirical analysis, we discover several key findings. Firstly, the advancement of industrial intelligence has notably exacerbated the income disparity among urban residents in China. This conclusion remains true even after conducting robustness test and endogenous treatment. Secondly, the impact of industrial intelligence on income inequality operates through distinct mechanisms. While it widens the income gap through employment substitution and creation effect as well as industrial upgrading effects, it also narrows the gap via the compensation effect. Lastly, industrial intelligence disproportionately affects certain demographic groups and regions. Specifically, it exacerbates income inequality among middle-aged and elderly individuals and in areas with weaker employment protection measures in China. The insights derived from our research can inform policymakers about striking a balance between economic growth and the well-being of the population, ultimately guiding the formulation of effective and inclusive policies in response to technological advancements.

Multi-dimensional impact of COVID-19 on active mobility in urban China: a scoping review of empirical knowledge.

Active mobility, such as cycling and walking, is assuming a growing significance in the daily lives of urban residents in China due to its positive impact on health and the environment. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic has elicited significant changes in behaviors, perceptions, and intellectual viewpoints in this domain, potentially altering residents' physical activities in the long-term. This scoping review seeks to delve into the multi-dimensional influence of the epidemic on active mobility in urban China. A thorough investigation of English and Chinese studies up to January 2024 was conducted, drawing from articles in Web of Science and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Only empirical studies providing knowledge into this subject were selected in the review, which comprised 20 studies in total. This review indicates that the influence of COVID-19 on active urban mobility in China has exhibited contradictory outcomes in terms of behavior. Besides, the experiences during the epidemic have significantly shaped citizens' attitudes and understanding of active mobility. The repercussions of the epidemic and the ensuing restrictions exacerbate the existing challenges faced by women, particularly those who are married, the older adult, and individuals with low incomes. The results exhibit both resemblances and idiosyncrasies when juxtaposed with prior research conducted in different nations. This analysis also offers valuable insights for improving active mobility across individual, organizational, and socio-political realms. The current state of empirical understanding in this field underscores the need for further research endeavors employing diverse methodological approaches and increased emphasis on the transformations anticipated in the post-epidemic era.

Neighbourhood social capital and political participation in neighbourhood governance: The case of Beijing, China

Determinants of individual participation in neighbourhood public affairs have been subject to growing scholarly interest. Urban scholars have adopted the social capital perspective to understanding both informal forms of civic engagement and formal participation in local politics. However, given the mixed findings from the existing literature, whether the social capital theory applies to understanding neighbourhood political participation in Chinese cities requires further investigation. This paper thus examines, in the context of housing marketization and neighbourhood governance reforms, the extent to which neighbourhood social capital promotes neighbourhood political participation among urban residents in China. Using data from a large-scale questionnaire survey conducted in 2017 in Beijing, China, we conducted statistical analysis and found an overall positive relationship between neighbourhood social capital and voting behaviour in neighbourhood elections. However, not all dimensions of social capital are significant, and the positive effects are more salient in newly-developed neighbourhoods of private governance, but not in traditional neighbourhoods in Beijing. These findings extend the international literature on the social capital theory of neighbourhood political participation with additional evidence from a developing country, while also contributing to an emerging line of inquiry on the determinants of civic engagement in neighbourhood governance in transitional urban China.

Milder, wilder, drier: Understanding preferences for urban nature-based solutions in China

Nature-based solutions have gained recognition for their potential to address urban environmental challenges, particularly in rapidly urbanising countries such as China. However, financial and spatial constraints hinder their widespread adoption. Here we explore urban residents' preferences for nature-based solutions targeting stormwater management, urban heat island reduction, and biodiversity support through monetary, time, and space contributions. We carried out three choice experiment surveys with 1536 Chinese respondents, employing three payment vehicles: willingness to pay (WTP), willingness to contribute time (WTCT), and a novel metric, willingness to contribute space (WTCS). The WTCS metric assesses individuals' willingness to voluntarily convert sealed surfaces on private land into greenspace. We found strong preferences for temperature and flooding reduction across all payment vehicles, reflecting substantial challenges of urban heat islands and flooding in China. Additionally, we reveal a preference for moderate greenspace management intensity, highlighting the potential for biodiversity benefits through reduced management intensities. The introduction of the WTCS payment vehicle expands the methodological toolkit for choice experiments and offers a novel approach to assess citizen support for nature-based solutions. These findings have practical implications for designing effective nature-based solutions programs to address urban environmental challenges and meet the preferences of urban residents in China and beyond.

Research on the spatial spillover effect of high-speed railway on the income of urban residents in China

The transportation infrastructure is a crucial component of social capital, as it aids in fostering national economic growth. The speed of resource elements’ spatial movement is increased by high-speed railways (HSR), thereby affecting the intensity and direction of regional economic connections. This study investigates how HSR impacts urban regional accessibility and the spatial spillover of urban residents’ income from a spatial viewpoint. The study found that: First, between 2000 and 2018, the introduction and functioning of HSR, along with the increased speed of regular railway services, led to an overall enhancement in urban regional accessibility and urban positioning. Second, there exists a notable spatial correlation between regional accessibility and labor market income. Cities with either high or low labor market income exhibit spatial clustering in the same direction at the spatial level. Enhancing regional accessibility typically leads to an increase in labor market income throughout the entire region. Third, the nearby cities with greater regional accessibility exert a siphon effect on the local area. Fourth, the labor market income is interdependent and promoted among cities. The labor market income of a city is positively influenced by the nearby cities and neighboring cities with comparable income levels. Fifth, between 2012 and 2018, the construction of HSR and the structural transformation of the labor market led to a notable increase in income through a positive spatial spillover effect.

A Survey of Public Opinion on Community Cats’ General Health and Relationship Quality with Residents in Urban China

The management and coexistence of community cats in urban areas is a growing concern amid global urbanization. Through a survey-based investigation, we examine the residents’ perceptions of the general health of community cats and human-cat relationships in urban China. The data from 5382 participants revealed that approximately 70% of participants perceived community cats as being in good health, and 60% reported harmonious or non-conflict coexistence between residents and these cats. Around 45% of the participants rescued or helped community cats, 38% expressed their intention to adopt, and 18% complained about the issues of community cats to management staff. Linear, logistic, and multilevel-logistic regressions were employed to examine the associations between the types of cities and communities or the participants’ socio-demographics and the perceived well-being of community cats or human-cat relationships. The results show that the cats in fourth-tier cities (e.g., county-level cities) had poorer living conditions than in first-tier cities (e.g., Beijing), while the cats in urban village communities (e.g., villages in the city) were less likely to exhibit good health than in ordinary commercial housing communities. The results also show that socio-demographic variables, such as educational attainment, marital status, and income level, predicted participants’ relationships with community cats. This study is the first of its kind. It provides valuable insights for stakeholders to develop effective policies and interventions on cat management, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies in diverse urban settings and populations.

Discussion on the spatial design of elderly care buildings under the concept of ageing-friendly concept

With the development of China's economy, the aging of the population is becoming more and more prominent, and China will enter a stage of deep aging. With the development of social economy and social progress, China's urban residents have put forward higher requirements for social and economic development. Judging from the survey results in recent years, the currently designed buildings are not suitable for the elderly to live in, which is not conducive to improving the quality of life of the elderly. This paper firstly introduces the influencing factors of modern pension building space design, then states the principles of pension building space design, and finally describes the problems and solutions existing in the current design of pension buildings under the concept of ageing.

Urban residents’ self-rescue in response to public health emergencies in China: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe abject uncertainty and unpredictability of public health emergencies have plagued various countries. Global health governance and international communities are facing long-term and arduous challenges. The self-rescue ability of individuals in a public emergency may be the most powerful trait to improve the survival rate outside the hospital. The study explores the cognitive ability and attitudes of urban residents in China towards self-rescue in response to public health emergencies. It provides appropriate evidence for improving the self-rescue ability of urban residents in China.MethodsSixteen urban residents were selected using the purposive sampling method for semi-structured interviews. Theme analysis was used to collate and analyse the interview data.ResultsTwo themes and five sub-themes were analysed. The two themes included cognition and attitude of Chinese urban residents for self-rescue in an emergency. Urban residents believed that their knowledge and skills for self-rescue in an emergency were low. The ability for emergency self-rescue is affected by multiple factors, with relatively limited options for improvement. Nonetheless, the respondents expressed a desire to accept interventions under psychological crisis and a strong willingness to acquire knowledge and skills required for emergency self-rescue.ConclusionThis study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Chinese urban residents towards emergency self-rescue. The results support enhanced ability of urban residents to respond to public health emergencies, thereby diminishing the negative outcomes. The findings suggest the need for strategies to address the factors affecting emergency self-rescue.

On the water resources tax standard and tax administration mode for urban residents in China

Abstract Levying water resources tax represents the exploration and innovation of paid use system of water resources in China. Due to the actual situation in China, the formulation of the water resources tax standard should fully reflect the value of water resources. Therefore, we use the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model to evaluate the water resources value in China, explore the spatial distribution of water resources value, and calculate the tax standard for urban residents. The results show that China's spatial distribution of water resources value demonstrates a pattern of ‘high in the north and low in the south’. There is a significant gap between the calculated results and the existing water resources tax standard, which fails to reflect the water resources value. This gap makes it a challenging task to generate a water-saving incentive effect. In addition, we also discuss the collection and management mode of water resources tax for urban residents and the dynamic adjustment basis for the formulation of water resources tax standards with people's livelihood issues taken into consideration. These research results will provide concrete theoretical support and policy reference for policy-makers seeking to improve water resources tax reform policies.

Digital Smart Manufacturing Context Urban Street Space Design Landscape Elements Retrofit Analysis

INTRODUCTION: With the growth of the economic level, China's urban residents' urban living standards are also increasingly high, which has produced the story of an urban street space design to improve the requirements. Moreover, with intelligent manufacturing and other computer technology to enhance the efficiency of various industries, smart manufacturing applied to urban spatial design landscapes also has a prototype.
 OBJECTIVES: To improve the level of digitization in China, the application of intelligent manufacturing in urban street space design; to promote the transformation of urban landscape elements, urban modernization will increase the level; to solve the problem of the urban environment improvement and economic development is not synchronized; to promote the modernization of urban development, enhance the level of urban informatization and intelligence.
 METHODS: Firstly establishes the Wells equation of the optimal path of intelligent manufacturing through the technique of theoretical exposition; secondly, analyzes people's demand for urban street space design by using the method of data statistics and analysis; lastly, summarizes the principles to be followed in the creation of urban street space and the construction outlook through case study.
 RESULTS: The Wells equation of the optimal path of smart manufacturing shows that intelligent manufacturing has a significant positive effect on the efficiency of urban street space design; the results of data statistics and analysis show that the current level of urban street space design cannot meet people's growing spiritual and cultural needs; the results of the case study show that the design of urban street space should follow the design principles of safety, closeness to nature, and human-centeredness.
 CONCLUSION: Urban street space design in the context of digital intelligent manufacturing should be done promptly, and the level of urban landscape design should be strengthened to meet people's growing spiritual and cultural needs in the post-New Crown epidemic era.

The impact of online shopping on food stockpiling behaviour in China

ABSTRACT Food stockpiling is a common strategy to cope with food shortages, especially during major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper investigates the effects of online shopping on household food stockpiling behaviour, using data collected from urban residents in China. Unlike previous studies considering only binary decisions, we take into account two-stage decisions (whether to stockpile and how much to stockpile). We employ a novel double-hurdle two-stage least square approach to model the sequential decision-making process and to address the endogeneity issue of online shopping. The empirical results show that online shopping significantly increases the probability that households choose to stockpile food and stockpiling ratio. Online shoppers in Eastern China are more likely to stockpile food, while their counterparts in the Western region tend to have a higher food stockpiling ratio. Online shopping significantly increases stockpiling ratio of perishable food such as fruits and vegetables relative to non-perishable food such as grains.

Structural transition of protein intake in urban China: Stage characteristics and driving forces

AbstractThe rapidly growing animal protein demand of Chinese residents has caused multiple pressures, including on food security, health, and the environment. It is critical to study the reasons for the changes in Chinese residents' protein intake structure and make a reasonable judgment about its future trend. This paper uses the Nationwide Urban Household Survey Date from 1992 to 2009 to construct a pseudo panel and conduct research based on the habit formation theory. We find that there is a significant habit formation effect in the consumption of the main protein source foods of Chinese urban residents, especially animal foods. It weakens with the passage of time, which may be the reason for the continuous increase in urbanites' animal protein intake. There are differences in the protein intake structure and changing trend of urban residents in China's different regions. We suggest that government should pay more attention to the development of animal husbandry and the supply security of feed grains; strengthen nutritional intervention efforts to guide residents toward balanced and healthy dietary patterns, with moderate intake of animal protein; and formulate more detailed nutritional standards by region and population to cope with the impact of the growing animal protein demand among China's residents. [EconLit Citations: D12, E21, Q18].

The Effect of Public Traffic Accessibility on the Low-Carbon Awareness of Residents in Guangzhou: The Perspective of Travel Behavior

The demand for transportation among urban residents in China is increasing in tandem with the nation’s population growth, rising consumption levels, and increasing car ownership rates. Breaking the existing high-carbon travel practices and reshaping positive low-carbon awareness represents an inevitable way to change existing transportation structures and reduce urban traffic congestion and carbon emissions. A mediating effect model was employed and we found that community satisfaction is an essential variable in the effect of traffic accessibility and travel behavior on low-carbon awareness. First, the impact of residents’ zero and low-carbon actions on their low-carbon awareness is mediated by community satisfaction. Furthermore, compared to high-income groups, community satisfaction exerts a robust mediating influence on low-income groups. The mediating effect of community satisfaction on the relationship between residential proximity to commercial centers and low-carbon awareness among individuals with low incomes is evident. Based on these findings, this paper explores the heterogeneity and associated measures of low-carbon awareness among residents. The conclusion of this study provides suggestions to promote residents’ low-carbon awareness by improving their travel experience from the perspective of community construction, providing scientific reference and a basis for the formulation of transportation policies for low-carbon city construction.

Urban overall and visible greenness and diabetes among older adults in China

Neighborhood greenness has been shown to reduce diabetes risk, however, no studies have compared the effects of overall greenness with visible greenness, which is crucial for understanding how greenness influences diabetes risk. Our study aims to explore the associations between greenness matrix and diabetes, as well as the potential effect modifications and mediating factors. We used logistic regressions to examine the cross-sectional associations of the satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and street view-based Green View Index (GVI) with diabetes in 3,924 urban older adults enrolled in the 2017–2018 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We conducted the stratified analyses by age, sex, household income and education. Mediation analyses were also performed to see whether physical activity, BMI, air pollution, and social interaction mediate the associations. Significant associations with diabetes were only observed for NDVI but not for GVI. Participants in the highest quartile of NDVI and GVI had 52% (95 % CI: 48%, 63%) and 14% (-10%, 44%) lower odds of reporting having diabetes diagnosed by a doctor. The protective effects of NDVI were more pronounced in the young old (≥75–95 years) and high-education or high-income groups. No difference between males and females were observed. Air pollution (e.g., PM2.5, NO2 and O3) partially mediated the associations, but physical activity, BMI, and social interaction may not mediate the associations. Our findings indicate beneficial associations between overall greenness but not visible greenness surrounding residences with diabetes in older urban residents in China, especially for old adults with higher education or household income levels. Environmental factors (e.g., air pollution) but not individual behavioural characteristics are the potential underlying mechanisms.