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Rural road improvement and individual health in China

Author

Listed:
  • Bu, Tao
  • Tang, Daisheng
  • Zhang, Zheng
  • Jiang, Chengkai

Abstract

It is crucial to investigate the effects of improving rural transportation infrastructure on the health of rural populations. This study establishes a multiple equilibrium model between transportation networks and rural health capital. Based on the data of rural road construction in China and the data of China Health and Nutrition Survey from 2000 to 2015, the OLS and FRD methods with year and individual fixed effects were used to analyze the impact of rural roads on the health status of rural labor force. The study found that rural road connectivity significantly improved laborers’ health, particularly for female, middle-aged and agricultural laborers. The key mechanism of this study is to promote public economic development and individual health investment, health literacy, and time allocation. There is a significant complementary effect between transportation investments and health investments, along with a substitution effect between work and leisure. Our theoretical and empirical findings highlight the importance of last-mile road construction in remote rural areas for improving rural health capital in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Bu, Tao & Tang, Daisheng & Zhang, Zheng & Jiang, Chengkai, 2025. "Rural road improvement and individual health in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:asieco:v:98:y:2025:i:c:s1049007825000326
    DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2025.101908
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