Does Environmental Information Disclosure Improve the Health Level of Middle-Aged and Old Residents? Evidence From China

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents and investigate whether such disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents. METHODS: This study matches the data of the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2018 and uses the ordered logistic regression model to assess the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents. Furthermore, stepwise regression, ordinary least square, and ordered probit regression models are used for robustness tests. The IV-Ordered probit regression model solves the endogenous problem. RESULTS: Environmental information disclosure has a significant positive correlation with the health level of middle-aged and old residents. After the robustness test and endogenous problem handling, this conclusion still holds. Estimation results show that when PITI increases by 1 unit, the probability of improving the self-reported health level and actual health level of middle-aged and old residents increases by 1 and 0.87%, respectively. The impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents also has significant regional heterogeneity. Specifically, the impact is mainly reflected in the central region of China. CONCLUSION: Environmental information disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents. To improve the health of middle-aged and old residents, it is necessary to implement and enhance the environmental information disclosure system continuously. The anti-driving effect of environmental information disclosure on the treatment of environmental pollution must be intensified further, particularly focusing on the central region of China, where is more polluted and more concentrated than other regions.