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Zhong M, Qiang D, Wang J, Sun W. Improving health and reducing health inequality: An innovation of digitalization? Soc Sci Med 2024; 348:116847. [PMID: 38569285 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The association between digitalization and individual health has attracted increasing attention from both scholars and policymakers. Existing research, however, has not agreed on whether digitization can improve health or reduce health inequality. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to clarify whether and how the development of digitalization may be related to health and health disparities. METHODS We rely on China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) surveys from 2012 to 2018 to obtain a sample of 82,471 observations to explore the impact of digitalization on self-rated health and health inequality and its transmission mechanisms. The hypotheses are tested by Ordinary Least Squares Modeling. RESULTS As expected, digitalization is significantly and positively correlated with self-rated health. Furthermore, the development of digitalization has led to a notable decrease in health inequality. The influencing mechanisms of digitalization include income, healthcare consumption and health behaviors. Both dimensions of digitalization-internet development and digital finance-generate significant effects and the effects of internet development are greater. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to systematically investigate the impact of digitalization development on health and health inequality. Our findings provide evidence for the health promotion theory by clarifying the benefits of digitalization in improving residents' health and reducing health inequality. Therefore, utilizing the tools of digitalization efficiently could be a focus of policymakers aiming to accomplish the SDGs' health targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirui Zhong
- Business School, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China
| | - Dan Qiang
- Business School, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China
| | - Jinxian Wang
- Business School, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China.
| | - Weizeng Sun
- School of Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, 100081, Beijing, China
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Li W, Zhu K, Liu E, Peng W, Fang C, Hu Q, Tao L. The impact of healthcare industry convergence on the performance of the public health system: a geospatial modeling study of provincial panel data from China. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1194375. [PMID: 37766745 PMCID: PMC10520712 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1194375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This paper examines the impact of healthcare industry convergence on the performance of the public health system in the eastern, central, and western regions of China. Methods Public health performance was measured by a composite index of three standards: average life expectancy at birth, perinatal mortality, and maternal mortality. The healthcare industry convergence was measured using a coupling coordination degree method. The spatial lag, spatial error, and spatial Durbin models were used to estimate the effect of healthcare industry convergence on public health system performance and this effect's spatial dependence and heterogeneity across eastern, central, and western China using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2019. Results The convergence of the healthcare industry significantly promotes regional public health [β =0.576, 95% CI: (0.331,0.821)]. However, the convergence does not have a spatial spillover effect on the public health system at the national level. Additionally, analysis of regional heterogeneity shows that the direct effects of healthcare industry convergence on public health are positive and statistically significant for Eastern China, statistically insignificant for Central China, and positive and statistically significant for Western China. The indirect effects are negative, statistically significant, positive, statistically significant, and statistically insignificant for these three regions, respectively. Conclusion Policy efforts should strengthen the convergence between the healthcare industry and relevant industries. It can produce more current healthcare services to improve public health and reduce regional health inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Data Science, Dongfang College, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Haining, China
| | - Ke Zhu
- School of Data Science, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Echu Liu
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Wuzhen Peng
- Department of Data Science, Dongfang College, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Haining, China
| | - Cheng Fang
- School of Data Science, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiong Hu
- Department of Business Analytics, Business School, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Limei Tao
- Office of Human Resources, Hubei Open University, Wuhan, China
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He YT, Zhang YC, Huang W, Wang RN, He LX, Li B, Zhang YL. Impact of digital economic development and environmental pollution on residents' health: an empirical analysis based on 279 prefecture-level cities in China. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:959. [PMID: 37231366 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15788-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The digital economy based on the internet and IT is developing rapidly in China, which makes a profound impact on urban environmental quality and residents' health activities. Thus, this study introduces environmental pollution as a mediating variable based on Grossman's health production function to explore the impact of digital economic development on the health of the population and its influence path. METHODS Based on the panel data of 279 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2017, this paper investigates the acting mechanism of digital economic development on residents' health by employing a combination of mediating effects model and spatial Durbin model. RESULTS The development of digital economy makes direct improvement on residents' health condition, which is also obtained indirectly by means of environmental pollution mitigation. Besides, from the perspective of spatial spillover effect, the development of digital economy also has a significant promoting effect on the health of adjacent urban residents, and further analysis reveals that the promoting effect in the central and western regions of China is more pronounced than that in the eastern region. CONCLUSIONS Digital economy can have a direct promoting effect on the health of residents, and environmental pollution has an intermediary effect between digital economy and residents' health; At the same time, there is also a regional heterogeneity among the three relationships. Therefore, this paper believes that the government should continue to formulate and implement scientific digital economy development policies at the macro and micro levels to narrow the regional digital divide, improve environmental quality and enhance the health level of residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ting He
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yue-Chi Zhang
- School of Social & Political Sciences, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Wen Huang
- The Fifth Affiliate Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruo-Nan Wang
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Luo-Xuan He
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Bei Li
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Yi-Li Zhang
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Wang F, Wang Z. The impact of the digital economy on occupational health: A quasi-experiment based on "Broadband China" pilot. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1007528. [PMID: 36761332 PMCID: PMC9905733 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1007528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent years' booming digital economy can not only benefit businesses, but also be an important way to improve people's wellbeing. This paper aimed to identify the relationship between the digital economy based on the "Broadband China" pilot policy and occupational health by applying DID method. The empirical results highlight that occupational health in the pilot cities of "Broadband China" are significantly improved compared with those in non-pilot cities, indicating that the digital economy can significantly improve occupational health. However, this effect varies across regions with different levels of economic development. Compared with developed areas, the digital economy has a more obvious effect on the improvement of occupational health in less developed areas, which indicates that this effect conforms to the law of diminishing marginal effect. Therefore, the digital economy should be continuously promoted to improve occupational health. Governments at all levels should strengthen the network infrastructure to provide a good basic environment for the development of the digital economy. At the same time, governments should introduce more detailed digital economy goals and programs according to the actual situation of their jurisdictions to fully release the economic and social benefits of the digital economy.
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Guo Q, Hu S, Ye J, Su L, Wang S, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Qiu S, Zhu L, Ruan L, Wan B, Zou S, Zhang W, Yu D, Xu J, Zhang H, Wei Y. Surgery offers survival advantage over radiotherapy in patients who are 80 years and older with Stage I and II NSCLC: A retrospective cohort study of 7,045 patients. Front Surg 2022; 9:1018320. [PMID: 36268213 PMCID: PMC9577077 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.1018320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Elderly people are less likely than younger patients to undergo curative surgery for early-stage lung cancer because of the greater risk of surgery and postoperative complications. We investigated the relationship between treatment modality and the risk of all-cause and lung cancer-specific mortality to compare the efficacy of surgical treatment with radiotherapy in patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were ≥80 years old. Methods We extracted data from the most recent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 registry study database (2010-2017). We mainly selected patients with stage I and II NSCLC who were ≥80 years old, and after screening, 7,045 cases were selected for our study. We used univariate analysis, stratified analysis, and multiple regression equation analysis to examine all-cause mortality and lung cancer-specific mortality in different treatment modalities. The overall and stratified populations' survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. The competing risk regression method of Fine and Gray was used to estimate mortality specific to lung cancer. Results In the fully adjusted model, all-cause mortality was 1.97 times higher in the radiotherapy-only group (hazard ration (HR) = 1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.81-2.14, p < 0.0001) than in the surgery-only group. The lung cancer-specific mortality rate was 1.22 times higher in the radiotherapy-only group (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.13-1.32, p < 0.0001) than in the surgery-only group. The median overall survival (OS) in the surgery-only, radiation therapy-only, surgery plus radiation therapy, and no-treatment groups were 58 months, 31 months, 36 months, and 10 months, respectively. Median lung cancer-specific survival was 61 months, 32 months, 38 months, and 11 months, respectively. The surgery-only group had the highest 1-year OS (0.8679,95% CI = 0.8537-0.8824) and 5-year OS (0.4873, 95% CI = 0.4632-0.5126). Conclusions Surgery had a higher overall and lung cancer-specific survival rate than radiotherapy and no treatment in the elderly early-stage NSCLC population. For patients with stage I and stage II NSCLC at advanced ages, surgical treatment might have a greater potential survival benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Sheng Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiayue Ye
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lang Su
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Silin Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Deyuan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shengyu Qiu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lingxiao Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Liancheng Ruan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bingen Wan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Sheng Zou
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wenxiong Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Dongliang Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianjun Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Huiliang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, XinSteel Center Hosptial, Xinyu, China,Correspondence: Yiping Wei Huiliang Zhang
| | - Yiping Wei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Correspondence: Yiping Wei Huiliang Zhang
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Wang FF, Deng WJ, Cheng H, Gao Q, Deng ZW, Deng HC. The Impact of Local Economic Growth Target Setting on the Quality of Public Occupational Health: Evidence From Provincial and City Government Work Reports in China. Front Public Health 2021; 9:769672. [PMID: 34760866 PMCID: PMC8572970 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.769672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This article uses data from the government work reports of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China and 21 cities in Guangdong Province of China to perform a fixed effect regression. It was found that economic growth target constraints and economic growth target gaps between countries and provinces, or between provinces and cities have a significant impact on the quality of public occupational health. The non-linear relationship between economic growth target setting and the quality of public occupational health was then discussed in detail, and the reliability of basic conclusions drawn was ensured by robustness and endogeneity tests. The results show that the effect of economic growth target constraints and gaps on the quality of public occupational health shows a “U-shaped” trend at both the provincial and city levels, which initially promotes and, eventually, inhibits. This relationship is closely related to the current economic system reforms, administrative reforms, and social transformation in China. Therefore, in emphasising high-quality economic development, the government should fully consider the actual state of the development of jurisdictions in setting economic goals to improve the quality of public occupational health in an orderly manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Fan Wang
- School of Public Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jing Deng
- Department of Computer, Guangdong Electronic Commerce Technician College, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China.,College of Economics and Management, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China
| | - Qing Gao
- Graduate School, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China
| | - Zi-Wei Deng
- School of Economics and Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Han-Cong Deng
- School of Finance and Public Administration, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, China
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Cheng H, Wang FF, Dong DW, Liang JC, Zhao CF, Yan B. Effects of Smart City Construction on the Quality of Public Occupational Health: Empirical Evidence From Guangdong Province, China. Front Public Health 2021; 9:769687. [PMID: 34746088 PMCID: PMC8566548 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.769687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article takes the Guangdong Province of China as the research object and uses the difference-in-difference model to evaluate the impact of smart city construction on the quality of public occupational health and intercity differences. The obtained results show that smart city construction significantly improves the quality of public occupational health, and it is still valid after a series of robustness tests. The effect of this policy is stronger in cities that belong to the Pearl River Delta region or sub-provincial level cities. This study indicates that the central government should improve the pilot evaluation system and the performance appraisal mechanism of smart cities from the perspective of top-level design during the process of promoting smart city construction, which aims to correctly guide local governments to promote the construction of smart cities. To achieve the full improvement effect of smart city construction on the quality of public occupational health, local governments should implement smart city strategies in a purposeful and planned way according to the actual situation of the development of the jurisdiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China.,College of Economics and Management, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, China
| | - Fan-Fan Wang
- School of Public Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Da-Wei Dong
- The Academy of Macroeconomic Research of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Ji-Chao Liang
- The Folk Culture and Art Research Institute of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Chun-Fen Zhao
- Nanning United Innovation Venture Capital Co., Ltd., Nanning, China
| | - Bei Yan
- Department of Mathematic and Computer Technology, Guilin Normal College, Guilin, China.,School of Government, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia
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