IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v249y2020ics0277953620300782.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of objective and subjective environmental pollution on well-being in urban China: A structural equation model approach

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Fan
  • Zhou, Tao

Abstract

Environmental pollution has become an increasingly severe problem in recent years and has aroused extensive concern. However, the influences of environmental factors on human well-being, especially their internal paths and causality, have received little research. Using cross-sectional data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) for 2016, together with data on air, water, and solid waste pollution, this study explored the critical paths and causality of the influences of objective (actual) and subjective (perceived) pollution on perceptions of well-being. Perceived pollution had both direct and indirect negative impacts on well-being. Actual pollution indirectly affected well-being by influencing perceptions of health and pollution, but had no direct influence on well-being. Air pollution had a positive association with depression and a negative association with life satisfaction and happiness, while water and solid waste pollution had negligible associations with well-being. The negative impacts of both real and perceived pollution on health are the main ways in which pollution decreases well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Fan & Zhou, Tao, 2020. "Effects of objective and subjective environmental pollution on well-being in urban China: A structural equation model approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:249:y:2020:i:c:s0277953620300782
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112859
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953620300782
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112859?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yen, I.H. & Yelin, E.H. & Katz, P. & Eisner, M.D. & Blanc, P.D., 2006. "Perceived neighborhood problems and quality of life, physical functioning, and depressive symptoms among adults with asthma," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(5), pages 873-879.
    2. Angus Deaton & Arthur A. Stone, 2013. "Two Happiness Puzzles," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 591-597, May.
      • Arthur A. Stone & Angus Deaton, 2013. "Two happiness puzzles," Working Papers 2013-3, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Health and Wellbeing..
    3. Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers, 2008. "Economic Growth and Subjective Well-Being: Reassessing the Easterlin Paradox," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 39(1 (Spring), pages 1-102.
    4. Iddisah Sulemana & Laura McCann & Harvey S. James Jr., 2016. "Perceived environmental quality and subjective well-being: are African countries different from developed countries?," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(1), pages 64-87.
    5. Levinson, Arik, 2012. "Valuing public goods using happiness data: The case of air quality," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 869-880.
    6. Jyotsna Jalan & E. Somanathan & Saraswata Choudhuri, "undated". "Awareness and the Demand for Environmental Quality: Drinking Water in Urban India," Working papers 32, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    7. Pei-shan Liao, 2009. "Parallels Between Objective Indicators and Subjective Perceptions of Quality of Life: A Study of Metropolitan and County Areas in Taiwan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 91(1), pages 99-114, March.
    8. Tanaka, Shinsuke, 2015. "Environmental regulations on air pollution in China and their impact on infant mortality," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 90-103.
    9. Rangalal Mohapatra, 2011. "Farmers’ Education and Profit Efficiency in Sugarcane Production: A Stochastic Frontier Profit Function Approach," The IUP Journal of Agricultural Economics, IUP Publications, vol. 0(2), pages 18-35, April.
    10. Luechinger, Simon, 2010. "Life satisfaction and transboundary air pollution," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 107(1), pages 4-6, April.
    11. Rehdanz, Katrin & Maddison, David, 2008. "Local environmental quality and life-satisfaction in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 787-797, February.
    12. Menz, Tobias, 2011. "Do people habituate to air pollution? Evidence from international life satisfaction data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 211-219.
    13. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Happiness in the air: How does a dirty sky affect mental health and subjective well-being?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 81-94.
    14. Dolan, Paul & Laffan, Kate, 2016. "Bad Air Days: The Effects of Air Quality on Different Measures of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 147-195, April.
    15. Li, Zhengtao & Folmer, Henk & Xue, Jianhong, 2014. "To what extent does air pollution affect happiness? The case of the Jinchuan mining area, China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 88-99.
    16. Russell Smyth & Ingrid Nielsen & Qingguo Zhai & Tiemin Liu & Yin Liu & C.Y. Tang & Zhihong Wang & Zuxiang Wang & Juyong Zhang, 2008. "Environmental Surroundings And Personal Well-Being In Urban China," Monash Economics Working Papers 32/08, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    17. Ferreira, Susana & Akay, Alpaslan & Brereton, Finbarr & Cuñado, Juncal & Martinsson, Peter & Moro, Mirko & Ningal, Tine F., 2013. "Life satisfaction and air quality in Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1-10.
    18. MacKerron, George & Mourato, Susana, 2009. "Life satisfaction and air quality in London," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 1441-1453, March.
    19. Yuan, Liang & Shin, Kongjoo & Managi, Shunsuke, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Environmental Quality: The Impact of Air Pollution and Green Coverage in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 124-138.
    20. Jalan, Jyotsna & Somanathan, E. & Chaudhuri, Saraswata, 2009. "Awareness and the demand for environmental quality: survey evidence on drinking water in urban India," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 665-692, December.
    21. Pei-shan Liao & Daigee Shaw & Yih-ming Lin, 2015. "Environmental Quality and Life Satisfaction: Subjective Versus Objective Measures of Air Quality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 599-616, November.
    22. Smyth, Russell & Mishra, Vinod & Qian, Xiaolei, 2008. "The Environment and Well-Being in Urban China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 547-555, December.
    23. Lei Zhang & Gui-zhen He & Arthur P.J. Mol & Yong-long Lu, 2013. "Public perceptions of environmental risk in China," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 195-209, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Tyurina, Elena & Nagapetyan, Artur, 2022. "The economic value of the Glass Beach: Contingent valuation and life satisfaction approaches," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    2. Puneet Vatsa & Junpeng Li & Phong Quoc Luu & Julio Cesar Botero‐R, 2023. "Internet use and consumption diversity: Evidence from rural China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1287-1308, August.
    3. Wenhao Qi & Wei Xu & Xiulin Qi & Meng Sun, 2023. "Can Environmental Protection Behavior Enhance Farmers' Subjective Well-Being?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 505-528, February.
    4. Wang, Mengmeng & Zhou, Tao, 2023. "Does smart city implementation improve the subjective quality of life? Evidence from China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Yao Jiang & Huawei Luo & Fan Yang, 2020. "Influences of Migrant Construction Workers’ Environmental Risk Perception on Their Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-18, October.
    6. Chuanglin Fang & Haitao Ma & Chao Bao & Zhenbo Wang & Guangdong Li & Siao Sun & Yupeng Fan, 2022. "Urban–rural human settlements in China: Objective evaluation and subjective well-being," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Jaturapith Krohkaew & Pongpon Nilaphruek & Niti Witthayawiroj & Sakchai Uapipatanakul & Yamin Thwe & Padma Nyoman Crisnapati, 2023. "Thailand Raw Water Quality Dataset Analysis and Evaluation," Data, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-18, September.
    8. Wang, Jinxian & Wang, Chen & Li, Sihao & Luo, Zhi, 2021. "Measurement of relative welfare poverty and its impact on happiness in China: Evidence from CGSS," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Welsch, Heinz & Ferreira, Susana, 2014. "Environment, Well-Being, and Experienced Preference," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 7(3-4), pages 205-239, December.
    2. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Happiness in the air: How does a dirty sky affect mental health and subjective well-being?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 81-94.
    3. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Valuing Air Quality Using Happiness Data: The Case of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 29-36.
    4. Arik Levinson, "undated". "Happiness and Air Pollution," Working Papers gueconwpa~20-23-10, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    5. Arik Levinson, 2020. "Happiness and Air Pollution," Working Papers gueconwpa~20-20-03, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    6. Wang, Jinxian & Wang, Yangjie & Sun, Cuicui & Chen, Xiaohong, 2021. "Does mandatory air quality information disclosure raise happiness? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Xuan Tian & Cheng Zhang & Bing Xu, 2022. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Residents’ Happiness: A Study on the Moderating Effect Based on Pollution Sensitivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Pan Zhang & Zhiguo Wang, 2019. "PM 2.5 Concentrations and Subjective Well-Being: Longitudinal Evidence from Aggregated Panel Data from Chinese Provinces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-13, March.
    9. Xingmin Shi & Xueping Li & Xieyang Chen & Luping Zhang, 2022. "Objective air quality index versus subjective perception: which has a greater impact on life satisfaction?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6860-6877, May.
    10. Qianqian Liu & Guanpeng Dong & Wenzhong Zhang & Jiaming Li, 2022. "The Influence of Air Pollution on Happiness and Willingness to Pay for Clean Air in the Bohai Rim Area of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    11. Meng-Meng Geng & Ling-Yun He, 2021. "Environmental Regulation, Environmental Awareness and Environmental Governance Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, April.
    12. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2015. "Happiness in the Air: How Does a Dirty Sky Affect Subjective Well-being?," IZA Discussion Papers 9312, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Yuan, Liang & Shin, Kongjoo & Managi, Shunsuke, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Environmental Quality: The Impact of Air Pollution and Green Coverage in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 124-138.
    14. Christine Bertram & Jan Goebel & Christian Krekel & Katrin Rehdanz, 2022. "Urban Land Use Fragmentation and Human Well-Being," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 98(2), pages 399-420.
    15. Bertram, Christine & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2015. "The role of urban green space for human well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 139-152.
    16. Xin Zhang & Xi Chen & Xiaobo Zhang, 2020. "The effects of exposure to air pollution on subjective wellbeing in China," Chapters, in: David Maddison & Katrin Rehdanz & Heinz Welsch (ed.), Handbook on Wellbeing, Happiness and the Environment, chapter 10, pages 183-200, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Shunsuke Managi, 2017. "Monetary Valuations of Life Conditions in a Consistent Framework: The Life Satisfaction Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1275-1303, October.
    18. Sanduijav, Chimedregzen & Ferreira, Susana & Filipski, Mateusz & Hashida, Yukiko, 2021. "Air pollution and happiness: Evidence from the coldest capital in the world," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    19. Tsurumi, Tetsuya & Managi, Shunsuke, 2020. "Health-related and non-health-related effects of PM2.5 on life satisfaction: Evidence from India, China and Japan," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 114-123.
    20. Ferreira, Susana & Akay, Alpaslan & Brereton, Finbarr & Cuñado, Juncal & Martinsson, Peter & Moro, Mirko & Ningal, Tine F., 2013. "Life satisfaction and air quality in Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1-10.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:249:y:2020:i:c:s0277953620300782. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.