Medical system and nutrition improvement for the rural elderly

Abstract

Background Insufficient nutrition intake has negatively influenced the health of the elderly in rural China where the problem of population aging is serious. The present study aims to explore whether the medical system, called the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS), can improve the rural elderly’s nutrition intake and the mechanism behind it. Methods The difference in differences (DID) model and the propensity score matching-difference in differences (PSM-DID) model are both performed to investigate the impact of the medical system on nutrition improvement for the rural elderly. Two thousand seven hundred eighty rural elderly samples tracked in 2000 and 2006 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey are analyzed. Indices for the elderly’s nutrition intake includes daily average intake of energy, fat, protein, and carbohydrate. Results The results show that participation in the NRCMS can significantly increase the rural elderly’s total energy intake, carbohydrate intake, and protein intake by 206.688 kcal, 36.379 g, and 6.979 g, respectively. A more significant impact of the NRCMS on nutrition intake is observed in the central and near-western where economic development is lagging behind. Also, compared to people of 18–60 age group, such impact is statistically more significant in the elderly for the carbohydrate intake. Conclusions The NRCMS can improve the rural elderly’s nutrition intake in China. As the population ages rapidly in rural China, the present study provides recommendations on how to improve nutrition and health status of the elderly from the aspect of the medical system.

The Effects of Adult Offspring Migration on Nutrient Intake of Rural Elderly People in China

“…Medical insurance whatever the public or commercial insurance is helpful to elderly parents to have more energy intake, and this is mainly because medical insurance could reduce the preventative saving and medical cost of elderly parents and then make them have more food expenditure. 35 Knowing the Chinese dietary guideline means the elderly parents owing more health dietary awareness and knowledge, which resulting them in more energy intake. The elderly parents who drink alcohol have a higher energy intake.…”

Does public pension impact migrant workers’ nutrition: evidence from urban pension insurance in China

“…Based on data from the China Nutrition and Health Survey(CHNS) and inspired by the link between income uncertainty and nutrient intake, researchers use completely different methods to investigate the effect of the new rural cooperative medical system (NCMS) on rural residents' nutrition intake and draw completely different conclusions (MA et al, 2011;MA & ZHANg, 2011;WANg et al, 2019). Some indicated that NCMS significantly improves the intake of calories, protein and carbohydrate per capita in rural households, but it has no significant effect on fat intake (MA et al, 2011;WANg et al, 2019). Since calories come mainly from carbohydrate and fat in food, grains are the main source of carbohydrates (CHINESE SoCIEty oF NUtRItIoN, 2014), it means that NCMS primarily promotes staple food consumption, and then improves rural residents' calorie intake.…”

“…However, in previously relevant studies, both variables are not well controlled and important explanatory variables may be omitted. For example, some studies did not control the intensity and height and weight of the physical activity of migrant workers (MA et al, 2011;MA & ZHANg, 2011); WANg et al (2019) did not control the variables of the height and weight of the elderly in rural areas; MENg et al (2009), LI & CHEN (2017), LI et al (2018) did not control the height and weight of urban residents. the rest of this paper is arranged as follows: Second, putting forward hypotheses through theoretical analysis; third, describing data sources and main statistical methods; Fourth is the results analysis, including the descriptive statistics, the main estimation results, heterogeneity analysis, endogeneity discussion and robustness test; Five is the discussion and conclusion.…”