Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions in China
Introduction There is relatively little research on the impact of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the elderly in China. We thus analyzed the effect of pension subsidies on the smoking and drinking behaviors of rural elderly using a pension scheme introduced in rural China in 20...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Publishing
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Effects-of-government-cash-subsidies-on-health-risk-behaviors-nof-the-rural-elderly,132859,0,2.html |
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| author | Zili Zhang Shizheng Dong Xuanxuan Zhang |
| author_facet | Zili Zhang Shizheng Dong Xuanxuan Zhang |
| author_sort | Zili Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction
There is relatively little research on the impact of government cash
subsidies on health risk behaviors of the elderly in China. We thus analyzed the
effect of pension subsidies on the smoking and drinking behaviors of rural elderly
using a pension scheme introduced in rural China in 2009.
Methods
Based on panel data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity
Survey (CLHLS) in 2008 and 2011, a Difference-in-Differences (DID) method
was applied to comprehensively analyze the impact of the new agricultural
insurance on the health risk behaviors of the rural elderly. In order to solve
possible sample selection biases, the Propensity Score Matching with Differencein-
Differences (PSM-DID) approach was used.
Results
We found that the implementation of the government cash subsidies
clearly promoted smoking rather than drinking behavior among rural older
adults. Specifically, the government cash subsidies facilitated smokers to smoke
an additional 2.9 cigarettes/day, and the impact of government cash subsidies
on the average cigarettes/day among smokers was more pronounced among the
male elderly, lower age elderly, higher income elderly, and elderly with intact
instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).
Conclusions
In order to reduce the negative externalities of old-age subsidies,
the government should place some restrictions on the use of cash subsidies for
tobacco purchase by the elderly. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:59:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c2c5c8492c274a9c83979b72aa2f7ad8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1617-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:59:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-c2c5c8492c274a9c83979b72aa2f7ad82022-12-21T23:28:25ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Induced Diseases1617-96252021-03-0119March1910.18332/tid/132859132859Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions in ChinaZili Zhang0Shizheng Dong1Xuanxuan Zhang2School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, ChinaSchool of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, ChinaSchool of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, ChinaIntroduction There is relatively little research on the impact of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the elderly in China. We thus analyzed the effect of pension subsidies on the smoking and drinking behaviors of rural elderly using a pension scheme introduced in rural China in 2009. Methods Based on panel data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2008 and 2011, a Difference-in-Differences (DID) method was applied to comprehensively analyze the impact of the new agricultural insurance on the health risk behaviors of the rural elderly. In order to solve possible sample selection biases, the Propensity Score Matching with Differencein- Differences (PSM-DID) approach was used. Results We found that the implementation of the government cash subsidies clearly promoted smoking rather than drinking behavior among rural older adults. Specifically, the government cash subsidies facilitated smokers to smoke an additional 2.9 cigarettes/day, and the impact of government cash subsidies on the average cigarettes/day among smokers was more pronounced among the male elderly, lower age elderly, higher income elderly, and elderly with intact instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Conclusions In order to reduce the negative externalities of old-age subsidies, the government should place some restrictions on the use of cash subsidies for tobacco purchase by the elderly.http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Effects-of-government-cash-subsidies-on-health-risk-behaviors-nof-the-rural-elderly,132859,0,2.htmlgovernment cash subsidieshealth risk behaviorsrural elderlychina |
| spellingShingle | Zili Zhang Shizheng Dong Xuanxuan Zhang Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions in China Tobacco Induced Diseases government cash subsidies health risk behaviors rural elderly china |
| title | Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors
of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions
in China |
| title_full | Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors
of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions
in China |
| title_fullStr | Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors
of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions
in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors
of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions
in China |
| title_short | Effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors
of the rural elderly: Evidence from social pension expansions
in China |
| title_sort | effects of government cash subsidies on health risk behaviors of the rural elderly evidence from social pension expansions in china |
| topic | government cash subsidies health risk behaviors rural elderly china |
| url | http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Effects-of-government-cash-subsidies-on-health-risk-behaviors-nof-the-rural-elderly,132859,0,2.html |
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