Energy Poverty and Depression in Rural China

Evidence from the Quantile Regression Approach

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15468682
AutoresJun Zhang (0000-0003-1706-1611, Renmin University of China, autor de correspondencia), Yugang He (0000-0001-5758-069X, Renmin University of China), Yuang He (Renmin University of China), Jing Zhang (0000-0002-6431-9286, Renmin University of China)
Año2022
Volumen19
Número2
Páginas1006-1006
Fecha de publicación2022-01-17
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditorialMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph19021006
PMID35055829
OpenAlexW4206008529
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas64

Despite the growing awareness and interest in the impact of energy poverty on depression, studies in developing economies are relative limited, and there is a gap of knowledge of such impact among rural individuals in China. In this study, we investigate the impact of energy poverty on depression among rural Chinese individuals aged 16 and above, and our sample includes 13,784 individuals from 6103 households. With data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies, we apply the instrumental variable (IV) quantile regression approach to address the potential endogeneity of energy poverty and allow for heterogeneous effects of energy poverty on depression across individuals with different levels of depression. Our estimates from the IV quantile regression suggest a strong positive impact of energy poverty on depression at the upper quantile of depression scores, but no impact at the middle and lower quantiles. The primary results are robust and consistent with alternative energy poverty measures, and we find that energy poverty does not affect depression of low-risk individuals (with low depression scores), but it does affect that of high-risk individuals. We also find individual socio-demographic factors of age, gender, household size, religious belief, education, marriage and employment status play roles in affecting depression. The findings of this study generate policy implications for energy poverty alleviation and mental health promotion

Affect (linguistics · Demographic economics · Depression (economics · Econometrics · Economic growth · Economics · Endogeneity · Environmental health · Panel data · Poverty · Quantile · Quantile regression · Sociology · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Energy and Environment Impacts · Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies · Medicine · Psychology