Wu Penghui, Zhang Ming, Xiong Senhao
Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
School of Education, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 16;13:1514794. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1514794. eCollection 2025.
Education-based hypergamy (EBH) is a key factor influencing the social interaction (SI) of women in China. Women in education-based hypergamous marriages, where they have lower education levels than their spouses, often face unique challenges that may impact their social lives. The dynamics of traditional gender norms and opportunity costs of balancing career and household duties present barriers to SI for these women. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that mediate and moderate this relationship is crucial for addressing social inequalities and improving public health outcomes.
Data for this study were obtained from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), which sampled 1,442 women. We employed a mediation effect testing model to examine the relationships among EBH, career aspirations (CA), social distrust (SD), and SI. The model also tested the moderating role of household income in mitigating the effects of EBH on SI.
This study first highlights that EBH is negatively associated with women's SI. Notably, household income moderated this relationship, with higher income levels alleviating the negative impact of EBH on SI. Additionally, CA and SD were found to mediate the relationship between EBH and SI, demonstrating that these factors contribute to the reduction in SI among women in education-based hypergamous marriages.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: These findings partially align with prior research on gender norms and social interaction, offering theoretical insights into the negative effects of EBH on women's SI. From a public health perspective, the results underscore the need for policies that enhance household income and provide flexible work arrangements. Such policies could reduce the constraints imposed by EBH, thereby promoting better social interaction, mental well-being, and overall health for women.
基于教育的攀附婚姻（EBH）是影响中国女性社会交往（SI）的关键因素。在基于教育的攀附婚姻中，女性教育水平低于配偶，她们常常面临可能影响其社会生活的独特挑战。传统性别规范的动态变化以及平衡职业和家务责任的机会成本给这些女性的社会交往带来了障碍。因此，了解调节和缓和这种关系的机制对于解决社会不平等问题和改善公共卫生结果至关重要。
本研究的数据来自2021年中国综合社会调查（CGSS），该调查对1442名女性进行了抽样。我们采用中介效应检验模型来研究EBH、职业抱负（CA）、社会不信任（SD）和SI之间的关系。该模型还检验了家庭收入在减轻EBH对SI影响方面的调节作用。
本研究首先强调EBH与女性的SI呈负相关。值得注意的是，家庭收入调节了这种关系，较高的收入水平减轻了EBH对SI的负面影响。此外，发现CA和SD在EBH与SI之间起中介作用，表明这些因素导致了基于教育的攀附婚姻中女性SI的减少。
讨论/结论：这些发现部分与先前关于性别规范和社会交往的研究一致，为EBH对女性SI的负面影响提供了理论见解。从公共卫生的角度来看，结果强调了需要制定提高家庭收入和提供灵活工作安排的政策。此类政策可以减少EBH带来的限制，从而促进女性更好的社会交往、心理健康和整体健康。
