Clean energy use and subjective and objective health outcomes in rural China : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce and Management at Lincoln University

Abstract

One of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all. This thesis analyses the impact of clean energy use on rural residents' subjective health outcomes (self-reported health status, health change, and discomfort) and objective health outcomes (the incidence of bronchitis, asthma, and medical expenditure and fitness expenditure). Using an Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) estimator and the 2018 China Family Panel Studies data, this thesis addresses the selection bias associated with clean energy use and estimates unbiased treatment effects. The empirical results show that farmers using clean energy (liquid gas, natural gas, methane, solar energy, or electricity) as the primary cooking fuel report improved health, a lower probability of physical discomfort, and higher fitness expenditures than non-users. Clean energy use does not significantly affect self-reported health, the likelihood of having bronchitis and asthma, or medical spending. The estimates of the propensity score matching model verify the robustness of the results estimated by the IPWRA estimator. The disaggregated analyses reveal that male clean energy users were more likely to report improved health conditions, whereas female clean energy users were less likely to report discomfort during the reference year. Besides, households in income tertile 1 were more likely to report improved health, whereas their counterparts in income tertile 2 were less likely to feel uncomfortable. Households in income Tertile 3 were associated with a high level of fitness expenditure. The results of the theses also show that farmers’ decisions to use clean energy are positively associated with their educational level, household income, whether they rent farmland, and their happiness levels but are negatively related to their age, family size, whether they own real estate, and the ratio of elders in their household. The findings of this thesis emphasise the importance of promoting rural energy transition to improve social health outcomes.