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Social Pensions and Child Health in Rural China

Author

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  • Xiaodong Zheng
  • Xiangming Fang
  • Derek S. Brown

Abstract

Social pensions are important cash transfers to the elderly and their families. The pensions may not only affect the wellbeing of the direct recipients, but also have household and intergenerational spillover effects. Using the 2012 and 2014 waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data, this paper examines the effect of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) and its mechanisms on child health in rural China. Our study shows a significant association between the NRPS and the health status of children up to 15 years of age. Moreover, the association of the NRPS with health is larger for children who are boys, ‘left behind’, six to 10 years of age, and in poor health. In addition, we investigate possible mechanisms of the effect, including health consciousness of the caregiver, household sanitation conditions, and high-protein food consumption, and find the increase of child nutrition intake is the main channel through which the NRPS affects child health.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaodong Zheng & Xiangming Fang & Derek S. Brown, 2020. "Social Pensions and Child Health in Rural China," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(3), pages 545-559, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:56:y:2020:i:3:p:545-559
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2019.1577387
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nan Sun & Fan Yang, 2021. "Grandparenting and Children’s Health-Empirical Evidence from China," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 1105-1120, June.
    2. Yue Zhang & Xiaodong Zheng, 2022. "Internal migration and child health: An investigation of health disparities between migrant children and left-behind children in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Zheng, Xiaodong & Wang, Chengcheng & Shen, Zheng & Fang, Xiangming, 2020. "Associations of private tutoring with Chinese students’ academic achievement, emotional well-being, and parent-child relationship," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    4. Zheng Shen & Xiaodong Zheng & Hualei Yang, 2020. "The fertility effects of public pension: Evidence from the new rural pension scheme in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Wen, Chufu & Zhao, Xinyu & Xu, Longhao & Yin, Hua, 2023. "Military experience and household stock market participation: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    6. Zheng, Xiaodong & Fang, Zuyi & Wang, Yajun & Fang, Xiangming, 2022. "When left-behind children become adults and parents: The long-term human capital consequences of parental absence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Yunwei Chen & Sean Sylvia & Sarah-Eve Dill & Scott Rozelle, 2022. "Structural Determinants of Child Health in Rural China: The Challenge of Creating Health Equity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-12, October.
    8. Lučivjanská, Katarína & Lyócsa, Štefan & Radvanský, Marek & Širaňová, Mária, 2022. "Return adjusted charge ratios: What drives fees and costs of pension schemes?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    9. Tang, Le & Sun, Shiyu & Yang, Weiguo, 2021. "Investments in human capital: The evidence from China’s new rural pension scheme," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    10. Jingru Ren & Xiaodong Zheng & Rodney Smith & Xiangming Fang, 2023. "School feeding program and urban–rural inequality of child health: Evidence from China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(S1), pages 1399-1416, December.
    11. Zhang, Quanda & Appau, Samuelson & Kodom, Peter Lord, 2021. "Energy poverty, children's wellbeing and the mediating role of academic performance: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    12. Sipei Xu & Jia Zhang, 2022. "Do Social Pensions Affect the Physical and Mental Health of Rural Children in China? An Intergenerational Care Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-25, March.
    13. Chen Kang & Mingwang Cheng & Xinyu Wei, 2024. "Institutional Pension Insurance in Sustainable Development of Urban–Rural Intergenerational Support," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-19, March.
    14. Zheng, Xiaodong & Shangguan, Shuangyue & Fang, Zuyi & Fang, Xiangming, 2021. "Early-life exposure to parental mental distress and adulthood depression among middle-aged and elderly Chinese," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    15. Xiaodong Zheng & Shuangyue Shangguan & Zheng Shen & Hualei Yang, 2023. "Social Pensions and Children’s Educational Outcomes: The Case of New Rural Pension Scheme in China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 502-521, June.

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