Influential Factors of Residents’ Health in Regions of China: A Comparative Study

BACKGROUND: With the rapid growth of China’s economy, the country’s economic, social, and environmental development has also shown significant differences in various regions. Improving the health level of residents has gradually become a hot issue. We aimed to explore the difference of the health level of the residents in different regions of China and its influential factors. METHODS: A panel regression model was established using statistical data from 31 provinces in the eastern, central, and western regions of China from the years 2000 and 2016 to examine the influence of economic, environmental, and social factors on the health level of residents in these regions and investigate the regulating role of public service factors. RESULTS: Environmental pollution significantly promotes human mortality in the eastern and central regions of China. The urbanization rate significantly reduces human mortality in the eastern and central regions. Per capita gross domestic product in the eastern and western regions has a significant U-shaped relationship with human mortality. The number of beds in health institutions per 10,000 persons, average years of schooling, and endowment insurance contribution service have varying degrees of influence on residents’ health level in the three regions of China. In particular, endowment insurance contribution service significantly reduces human mortality in the eastern region, whereas its impact on the western region is insignificant. CONCLUSION: Differential policies in environmental pollution control, economic growth, and medical and public health should be formulated to reduce mortality in China, specifically in the eastern, central, and western regions.