Protecting Blue Skies and Health: Can “Key Controlled Areas for Air Pollution Prevention and Control” Contribute to the Sustainable Development of Residents’ Health?

Abstract

This paper examines whether the establishment of “Key Controlled Areas for Air Pollution Prevention and Control” and its associated policy package in China improved residents’ health. Based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011–2018, Our study finds that this command-and-control environmental regulation is associated with notable declines in residents’ morbidity from asthma, lung disease, and heart disease, while also producing preventive effects. Potential channel analysis indicates that these health improvements operate through reduced air pollution, heightened public environmental concern, and enhanced residents’ lung function. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the respiratory benefits for asthma are larger among rural residents, males, and the in-service group; the benefits for lung disease are larger among rural residents, females, and the in-service group; the cardiovascular benefits for heart disease are larger among urban residents, females, and the retired group. Furthermore, this paper also finds that the establishment of this policy and its associated policy package is significantly associated with lower residents’ medical expenditures and improved subjective and mental health.