IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i23p16144-d1284283.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of New-Type Urbanization and Environmental Pollution on Public Health: A Spatial Durbin Model Study

Author

Listed:
  • Kang Wu

    (School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
    Kang Wu and Ruo-Nan Wang are considered co-first authors. These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Ruonan Wang

    (School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
    Kang Wu and Ruo-Nan Wang are considered co-first authors. These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yuechi Zhang

    (Bussiness School, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK)

  • Rangke Wu

    (School of Foreign Studies, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China)

  • Yanting He

    (School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China)

  • Bei Li

    (School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China)

  • Yili Zhang

    (School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China)

Abstract

The rapid pace of urbanization in recent years, accompanied by the tension between urbanization and environmental pollution as well as public health, has become increasingly prominent, potentially constraining the normal pace of urbanization development, environmental sustainability and public health enhancement. This paper aims to clarify the relationship between new urbanization, environmental pollution and public health from both local and spatial perspectives, using a spatial Durbin model and a mediating effects model based on panel data from 275 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2020 and to test the existence of regional heterogeneity with a sub-sample of three major regions: eastern, central and western China. After incorporating environmental pollution as a variable across the entire scope of China, it was found that the new-type urbanization was related to public health in a ‘positive U-shaped’ form in terms of both local and spatial spillover effects (β 2 = 14.5620, β 3 = −17.8938, p < 0.05; θ 2 = 19.2527, θ 3 = −29.0973, p < 0.1) and environmental pollution exerts a negative impact on public health (β 1 = 6.3704, θ 1 = 2.5731, p < 0.05). A “reverse U-shaped” local effect was observed between new-type urbanization and environmental pollution (β 2 = 0.6281, β 3 = −0.5315, p < 0.05). Environmental pollution plays a partially mediating role in the impact mechanism of new-type urbanization on public health. There was regional heterogeneity in the relationship between new-type urbanization, environmental pollution and public health. The empirical results for the western regions and the whole of China were generally consistent, but the differences were significant between the eastern and central regions. In the eastern region, new-type urbanization and public health were related in an ‘inverted U-shaped’ form from the perspective of local and spatial spillover effect, and in the central region, there was an ‘inverted U-shaped’ form from the perspective of local effect. There was a threshold effect relationship between new-type urbanization and environmental pollution and between new-type urbanization and public health. At the same time, there was regional heterogeneity in the relationships between the three. Therefore, this paper argues that governments should formulate scientific urban planning and sustainable development policies that take into account the actual situation of each region and aim to promote sustainable urbanization, environmental quality and public health as a whole.

Suggested Citation

  • Kang Wu & Ruonan Wang & Yuechi Zhang & Rangke Wu & Yanting He & Bei Li & Yili Zhang, 2023. "The Influence of New-Type Urbanization and Environmental Pollution on Public Health: A Spatial Durbin Model Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-23, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16144-:d:1284283
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/23/16144/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/23/16144/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anselin, Luc & Bera, Anil K. & Florax, Raymond & Yoon, Mann J., 1996. "Simple diagnostic tests for spatial dependence," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 77-104, February.
    2. Sen, Amartya, 1998. "Mortality as an Indicator of Economic Success and Failure," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(446), pages 1-25, January.
    3. Abraído-Lanza, A.F. & Dohrenwend, B.P. & Ng-Mak, D.S. & Turner, J.B., 1999. "The Latino mortality paradox: A test of the 'salmon bias' and healthy migrant hypotheses," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(10), pages 1543-1548.
    4. Yu, Binbin, 2021. "Ecological effects of new-type urbanization in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    5. Yao, Shujie & Zhang, Zongyi, 2001. "On Regional Inequality and Diverging Clubs: A Case Study of Contemporary China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 466-484, September.
    6. Raschid-Sally, Liqa & Jayakody, Priyantha, 2008. "Drivers and characteristics of wastewater agriculture in developing countries: results from a global assessment," IWMI Research Reports H041686, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Neidell, Matthew J., 2004. "Air pollution, health, and socio-economic status: the effect of outdoor air quality on childhood asthma," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1209-1236, November.
    8. Luc Anselin & Daniel A. Griffith, 1988. "Do Spatial Effecfs Really Matter In Regression Analysis?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(1), pages 11-34, January.
    9. Avraham Ebenstein, 2012. "The Consequences of Industrialization: Evidence from Water Pollution and Digestive Cancers in China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 94(1), pages 186-201, February.
    10. Sadorsky, Perry, 2014. "The effect of urbanization on CO2 emissions in emerging economies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 147-153.
    11. Qin, Xuezheng & Li, Lixing & Hsieh, Chee-Ruey, 2013. "Too few doctors or too low wages? Labor supply of health care professionals in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 150-164.
    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. Thabet Khaled, 2025. "Agglomeration economies and regional growth in Tunisian coastal area: evidence from a spatial econometric model," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 74(3), pages 1-33, September.

    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. Cem Ertur & Julie Le Gallo & Catherine Baumont, 2006. "The European Regional Convergence Process, 1980-1995: Do Spatial Regimes and Spatial Dependence Matter?," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 29(1), pages 3-34, January.
    2. Xu, Feng & Chi, Guangqing & Zhang, Zhexi & Yang, Jianxin, 2023. "How does quality regional growth affect land resources dependence in China? Evidence based on spatial Durbin panel models," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Yingchao Song & Yisheng Gao & Shuxin Zhang & Huizhong Dong & Xuefeng Liu, 2024. "Research on the Coupling Coordination and Driving Mechanisms of New-Type Urbanization and the Ecological Environment in China’s Yangtze River Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Zhang, Zhenhua & Zhang, Guoxing & Su, Bin, 2022. "The spatial impacts of air pollution and socio-economic status on public health: Empirical evidence from China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Yin Feng & Jinhua Cheng & Jun Shen & Han Sun, 2019. "Spatial Effects of Air Pollution on Public Health in China," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 73(1), pages 229-250, May.
    6. López Cruz, Iván & Torrens, Gustavo, 2023. "Hidden drivers of violence diffusion: Evidence from illegal oil siphoning in Mexico," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 26-70.
    7. Weicheng Xu & Zhendong Zhang, 2022. "Impact of Coastal Urbanization on Marine Pollution: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-25, August.
    8. Xu, Aiting & Song, Miaoyuan & Wu, Yunguang & Luo, Yifan & Zhu, Yuhan & Qiu, Keyang, 2024. "Effects of new urbanization on China's carbon emissions: A quasi-natural experiment based on the improved PSM-DID model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    9. David M. Cutler & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Tom Vogl, 2008. "Socioeconomic Status and Health: Dimensions and Mechanisms," NBER Working Papers 14333, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Feng Dong & Ruyin Long & Zhuolin Li & Yuanju Dai, 2016. "Analysis of carbon emission intensity, urbanization and energy mix: evidence from China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 82(2), pages 1375-1391, June.
    11. Su, Yi & Fan, Qi-ming, 2022. "Renewable energy technology innovation, industrial structure upgrading and green development from the perspective of China's provinces," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    12. Zekai He & Xiuzhen Shi & Xinhao Wang & Yuwei Xu, 2017. "Urbanisation and the geographic concentration of industrial SO2 emissions in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(15), pages 3579-3596, November.
    13. Jia, Ce & Guo, Xiaodan & Tian, Ziyue & Xiao, Bowen, 2025. "Unintended consequences of SO2 mitigation: Increased PM and infant mortality in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    14. Chen, Huadun & Du, Qianxi & Huo, Tengfei & Liu, Peiran & Cai, Weiguang & Liu, Bingsheng, 2023. "Spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanism of carbon emissions in China's urban residential building sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    15. Matias Reus-Pons & Eva U. B. Kibele & Fanny Janssen, 2017. "Differences in healthy life expectancy between older migrants and non-migrants in three European countries over time," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 62(5), pages 531-540, June.
    16. Ruaa Al Juboori & Divya S. Subramaniam & Leslie Hinyard & J. S. Onésimo Sandoval, 2023. "Unveiling Spatial Associations between COVID-19 Severe Health Index, Racial/Ethnic Composition, and Community Factors in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(17), pages 1-17, August.
    17. Junming Li & Meijun Jin & Honglin Li, 2019. "Exploring Spatial Influence of Remotely Sensed PM 2.5 Concentration Using a Developed Deep Convolutional Neural Network Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-11, February.
    18. Michael Marmot & Ruth Bell & Angela Donkin, 2013. "Tackling Structural and Social Issues to Reduce Inequities in Children’s Outcomes in Low- to Middle-income Countries," Papers indipa708, Innocenti Discussion Papers.
    19. Kristien Werck & Bruno Heyndels & Benny Geys, 2008. "The impact of ‘central places’ on spatial spending patterns: evidence from Flemish local government cultural expenditures," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 32(1), pages 35-58, March.
    20. Juergen Deppner & Marcelo Cajias, 2024. "Accounting for Spatial Autocorrelation in Algorithm-Driven Hedonic Models: A Spatial Cross-Validation Approach," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 68(2), pages 235-273, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16144-:d:1284283. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.