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The Effect of Household Technology on Weight and Health Outcomes among Chinese Adults: Evidence from China's "Home Appliances Going to the Countryside" Policy

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  • Cheng Chen
  • Shin-Yi Chou
  • Robert J. Thornton

Abstract

We utilize the variations in home appliance adoption generated by China's Home Appliances Going to the Countryside policy to isolate the actual effects of household technology on weight and health outcomes. Using difference-in-differences and instrumental variable approaches, we find that the policy-induced technological change has increased the probability of being obese and the incidence of being sick or injured for rural women but has had no impact on rural men. Our results also indicate that household technology has increased female labor force participation but has decreased women's overall levels of energy expenditure.

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  • Cheng Chen & Shin-Yi Chou & Robert J. Thornton, 2015. "The Effect of Household Technology on Weight and Health Outcomes among Chinese Adults: Evidence from China's "Home Appliances Going to the Countryside" Policy," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(3), pages 364-401.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jhucap:doi:10.1086/683055
    DOI: 10.1086/683055
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    Cited by:

    1. Ruling Hong & Mengxun Liu & Haoming Yang & Qianqian Zhang, 2023. "What Drives China’s Exports: Evidence from a Domestic Consumption Expansion Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Jiangjun Wan & Yi Su & Huanglin Zan & Yutong Zhao & Lingqing Zhang & Shaoyao Zhang & Xiangyu Dong & Wei Deng, 2020. "Land Functions, Rural Space Governance, and Farmers’ Environmental Perceptions: A Case Study from the Huanjiang Karst Mountain Area, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Ying Fan & Ge Zhang, 2022. "The welfare effect of a consumer subsidy with price ceilings: the case of Chinese cell phones," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(2), pages 429-449, June.
    4. Junhui Shi & Fang Wang & Huan Wang, 2022. "The Effect of Household Technology on Child Health: Evidence from China’s “Home Appliances Going to the Countryside” Policy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-19, September.

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