Department of Economics, University of Rochester, 280 Hutchison Road, P.O. Box 270156, Rochester, NY 14627, United States.
School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, No. 10, Huixin Dongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China.
J Health Econ. 2022 Sep;85:102670. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102670. Epub 2022 Aug 12.
The Internet has significantly changed people's daily lives, including their health status. In this paper, we study the health implications of Internet access with a specific focus on body weight. We exploit an Internet speed upgrading project in China and conduct a difference-in-differences analysis, where the treatment intensity depends on cities' pre-existing Internet infrastructure conditions. We find consistent and robust evidence that increased Internet access reduces the incidence of being overweight. Regarding the mechanisms behind this result, we provide indirect evidence for the information channel, evidenced by improved health behaviors after the project: less engagement in risky health behaviors and increased participation in preventive health services and exercise. Internet diffusion also increases income, supporting the income channel through which the Internet can affect body weight.
互联网极大地改变了人们的日常生活，包括他们的健康状况。在本文中，我们研究了互联网接入对健康的影响，特别是体重方面。我们利用中国的一项互联网速度提升计划进行了双重差分分析，其中治疗强度取决于城市原有互联网基础设施的条件。我们发现了一致且稳健的证据表明，增加互联网接入可以降低超重的发生率。关于这一结果的背后机制，我们提供了信息渠道的间接证据，即项目实施后健康行为得到改善：减少参与危险健康行为以及增加参与预防性健康服务和锻炼。互联网普及也提高了收入，通过互联网影响体重的收入渠道得到了支持。
