Li Tao, Yang Dan Xiao
College of Economics, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Front Public Health. 2025 Aug 15;13:1524444. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1524444. eCollection 2025.
Indoor air pollution is a significant issue in developing nations, posing serious health risks and contributing to various diseases. Despite its importance, the relationship between household clean energy transition and its effects on health outcomes and medical expenses has received limited scholarly attention. This study addresses this gap by utilizing the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APCP), implemented by the State Council of China in 2013, as a policy intervention. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) spanning from 2014 to 2020, a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model was developed to assess the impact of the transition to clean energy on medical expenses. The findings indicate that household clean energy transition can significantly reduce residents' medical expenditures. Heterogeneity analyses indicate that rural populations, individuals with lower educational attainment, homeowners, and families consisting of three to five members experience a more significant reduction in medical costs associated with household clean energy transition. Mechanism analysis reveals that the reduction in medical costs is attributable to the improvements in health outcomes and increases in income resulting from the clean energy transition. This study offers a significant academic foundation and support for developing countries in formulating clean energy and health policies.
室内空气污染在发展中国家是一个重大问题，带来严重的健康风险并导致各种疾病。尽管其重要性，但家庭清洁能源转型与其对健康结果和医疗费用的影响之间的关系在学术上受到的关注有限。本研究通过利用中国国务院于2013年实施的《大气污染防治行动计划》（APCP）作为政策干预来填补这一空白。利用2014年至2020年中国家庭追踪调查（CFPS）的数据，开发了一个交错差分（DID）模型来评估向清洁能源转型对医疗费用的影响。研究结果表明，家庭清洁能源转型可以显著降低居民的医疗支出。异质性分析表明，农村人口、受教育程度较低的个人、房主以及由三至五名成员组成的家庭在与家庭清洁能源转型相关的医疗成本方面下降更为显著。机制分析表明，医疗成本的降低归因于清洁能源转型带来的健康结果改善和收入增加。本研究为发展中国家制定清洁能源和健康政策提供了重要的学术基础和支持。
