Zhang Zheng, Xu Huijie, Zhou Jiansong, Cao Xia
Department of Health Management Center, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, National Center for Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2025 May;40(5):e70082. doi: 10.1002/gps.70082.
Rapid urbanization in China has raised significant public health concerns, particularly regarding residents' physical and mental well-being. Effective interventions are urgently needed to address these issues.
This study evaluates the impact of China's Healthy City Pilot Policy (HCPP), introduced in 2016, on improving residents' health outcomes and examines demographic differences and mechanisms driving these effects.
Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2020, a difference-in-differences (DID) approach was employed, along with propensity score matching (PSM-DID), placebo tests, and sensitivity analyses for robust results.
The HCPP significantly enhanced residents' health in pilot cities, leading to better self-rated health, lower medical expenses, higher life satisfaction, and reduced depression. These benefits were most pronounced among the elderly, women, less-educated individuals, and residents of rural and central-western regions. Key mechanisms included increased physical exercise, social activities, and improved air quality.
The HCPP positively impacts urban health, especially for vulnerable groups, highlighting the urgent need to integrate health considerations into urban planning and providing valuable insights for future policy development.
中国快速的城市化引发了重大的公共卫生问题，尤其是在居民的身心健康方面。迫切需要有效的干预措施来解决这些问题。
本研究评估2016年推出的中国健康城市试点政策（HCPP）对改善居民健康状况的影响，并考察人口统计学差异以及驱动这些影响的机制。
利用2011年至2020年中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）的数据，采用双重差分法（DID），并结合倾向得分匹配（PSM-DID）、安慰剂检验和敏感性分析以获得稳健的结果。
HCPP显著改善了试点城市居民的健康状况，带来了更好的自评健康、更低的医疗费用、更高的生活满意度以及更低的抑郁水平。这些益处在老年人、女性、受教育程度较低的人群以及农村和中西部地区的居民中最为明显。关键机制包括增加体育锻炼、社交活动以及改善空气质量。
HCPP对城市健康产生了积极影响，尤其是对弱势群体，凸显了将健康考量纳入城市规划的迫切性，并为未来政策制定提供了有价值的见解。
