College of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 6;20(5):4654. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054654.
Agricultural mechanization is an important component of agricultural modernization, as it contributes to the improvement of agricultural technology and the rapid transformation of agricultural development. However, research on the connection between agricultural mechanization and farmers' health status is scarce. Thus, using the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) data, this study explored how agricultural mechanization can affect farmers' health. OLS and 2SLS models were used for the study's analysis. Furthermore, we used a PSM model to check the robustness of our analysis. The findings showed that: (1) the current state of agricultural mechanization in western China harms the health of rural residents; (2) agricultural mechanization can mitigate the adverse effects on health by increasing farmers' living expenditure and improving their living environment; and (3) agricultural mechanization's effects on farmers' health are regionally and income-heterogeneous. Agricultural mechanization has a more significant impact on health in Tibetan areas and high-income regions. It has an almost minimal effect in non-Tibetan and low-income areas. This paper suggests approaches that can be used to encourage the rational development of agricultural mechanization and improve rural populations' health.
农业机械化是农业现代化的重要组成部分，它有助于提高农业技术水平，快速转变农业发展方式。然而，关于农业机械化与农民健康状况之间联系的研究还很匮乏。因此，本研究利用 2018 年中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）数据，探讨了农业机械化如何影响农民的健康。本研究采用 OLS 和 2SLS 模型进行分析。此外，我们还使用 PSM 模型来检验分析结果的稳健性。研究结果表明：（1）中国西部地区农业机械化的现状对农村居民的健康造成了损害；（2）农业机械化可以通过增加农民的生活支出和改善生活环境来减轻对健康的不利影响；（3）农业机械化对农民健康的影响具有区域性和收入异质性。农业机械化在藏族地区和高收入地区对健康的影响更为显著，而在非藏族和低收入地区的影响则几乎微不足道。本文提出了一些可以用来鼓励农业机械化合理发展和提高农村人口健康水平的方法。
