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Digital Rural Construction and the Welfare of Disadvantaged Children: Exploring the Roles of Government and NGOs

Author

Listed:
  • Qiong Liu

    (College of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410000, China)

  • Cuiying Zhu

    (College of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410000, China)

Abstract

As global sustainable development goals progress, improving the welfare of vulnerable rural populations has become a critical issue for many countries. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2022, this paper examines the impact of Digital Rural Construction (DRC) on the welfare of disadvantaged rural children. Specifically, it explores the mechanisms through which DRC enhances child welfare, focusing on information access, educational resource availability, and medical service accessibility. Additionally, the roles of government and non-governmental organizations in moderating this process are analyzed. The findings show that DRC significantly improves children’s health, education, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, interventions by governments and non-governmental organizations amplify these positive effects, with non-governmental interventions proving particularly effective. This study not only addresses a gap in the literature on the mechanisms linking DRC and child welfare but also offers valuable insights for policymakers from a sustainability perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiong Liu & Cuiying Zhu, 2024. "Digital Rural Construction and the Welfare of Disadvantaged Children: Exploring the Roles of Government and NGOs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:11114-:d:1546852
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bo Liu & Jing Zhou, 2023. "Digital Literacy, Farmers’ Income Increase and Rural Internal Income Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Yunwen Zhou & Zhijian Cai & Jie Wang, 2023. "Digital Rural Construction and Rural Household Entrepreneurship: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Huang, Xian & Wu, Bingxiao, 2020. "Impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on health care: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    4. Kosec, Katrina & Wantchekon, Leonard, 2020. "Can information improve rural governance and service delivery?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    5. Zheng Cai & Shengsheng Li & Di Cheng, 2023. "Has Digital Village Construction Improved Rural Family Resilience in China? Evidence Based on China Household Finance Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Lisha Ye & Huiqin Yang, 2020. "From Digital Divide to Social Inclusion: A Tale of Mobile Platform Empowerment in Rural Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hanyang Cao & Yu Zhang, 2025. "Let Farmers Speak for Themselves: A Configurational Study on Farmers’ Participation in Digital Village Construction," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(4), pages 21582440251, November.

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