| ID | 168355 |
| Title Proper | Health outcomes, health inequality and Mandarin proficiency in urban China |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Wang, Haining |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | We examine the health returns to proficiency in Mandarin in urban China using longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies. We find that greater proficiency in Mandarin improves self-reported health, mental health and capacity to perform activities of daily living. We also examine the relationship between Mandarin proficiency and health inequality and the decomposition results show that differences in Mandarin proficiency account for between 2% and 20% of health inequality in urban China, depending on the health indicator. Our results suggest that promoting ‘standard Mandarin’ can serve as a vehicle to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequality. |
| `In' analytical Note | China Economic Review Vol.56 , Aug 2019: p.101305 |
| Journal Source | China Economic Review 2019-08 |
| Key Words | China ; Human Capital ; Health Inequality ; Mandarin Proficiency ; Health Outcome |