The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality:Evidence from rural China

Over the past few decades,the Internet has rapidly diffused across China.The spread of the Internet has had a profound economic and social impact on Chinese rural areas.Existing research shows that Internet access significantly impacts agricultural production and improves smallholder farmers’income.Beyond these,the Internet can affect other dimensions of social welfare.However,research about the impact of Internet access on dietary quality in rural China remains scarce.This study utilizes multi-period panel data from Fixed Observation Point in rural China from 2009 to 2015 to estimate the impact of Internet access on dietary quality and food consumption of rural households and conducts a causal analysis.Regression models with time and household fixed effects allow robust estimation while reducing potential issues of unobserved heterogeneity.The estimates show that Internet access has significantly increased rural household dietary quality(measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index).Further research finds that Internet access has increased the consumption of animal products,such as aquatic and dairy products.We also examine the underlying mechanisms.Internet access improves dietary quality and food consumption mainly through increasing household income and food expenditure.These results encourage the promotion of Internet access as a valuable tool for nutritional improvements,especially in rural areas.

Attributes of Specialized Households'Resilience and Its Impact on Rural Industrial Advancement:A Case Study of National Musical Instrument Production Specialized Households in Lankao County,Henan,China

Specialized households serve as the primary units within specialized villages in China,and their capacity to withstand risks and external influences significantly shapes the future trajectory of specialized villages and the overall vitality of the rural economy.In this study,we established a measurement indicator system based on the definition of specialized households’resilience,elucidating the logical connection between specialized households’resilience and rural industrial development in China.The musical instrument industry in Lankao County,Henan Province of China,was employed as a case;survey data,the entropy method,and an obstacle diagnosis model were used to examine how instrument production specialized households responded to the challenges posed by Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19)and the tightening of national environmental protection policies,yielding the following key findings:1)there exists substantial variation in the comprehensive resilience levels among different specialized households;2)the ability to learn and adapt is the most significant contributor to the overall resilience level of specialized households;3)technological proficiency and access to skilled talent emerge as pivotal factors influencing specialized households’resilience;4)the positioning of specialized households within the industrial supply chain and the stability of their income have a direct bearing on their resilience level.The influence of specialized households’resilience on industrial development primarily manifests in the following ways:stronger resilience correlates with increased stability in production and sales,fostering a more proactive approach to future actions.However,heightened exposure to the external macroeconomic environment can lead to a higher rate of export reduction.To enhance the development resilience of entities like specialized households and family farms,and to invigorate rural economic development,escalating investments in rural science and technology and prioritizing the training of technical talent become imperative.

Spatial Equity Evaluation of Rural Eldercare Service Resources Based on Accessibility: A Case Study of Huanxian County of Gansu Province, China

Safeguarding the elderly population in the countryside is an inherent requirement for alleviating social conflicts in rural areas and effectively carrying out China’s Rural Revitalization.The existing spatial mismatch between rural elderly service facilities and pop-ulation distribution in China aggravates the imbalance of facility resource space,how to improve the accuracy of demand and supply results and better measuring the spatial fairness of elderly service is significant to realize the optimal allocation of rural elderly service.Based on the above,this study pays attention to the refined needs of the elderly population,and focuses on the spatial equity of the rural elderly facilities,to make up for the short boards of the basic public services in the countryside and realize the all-round rural revitalization.This study takes Huanxian County in the hilly loess area of Longdong,China as an example and explores the spatial equity of rural elderly services by using the Urban Spatial Network Analysis(UNA)to measure the accessible quantity and supply capacity of elderly services.The results found that there were 553 rural eldercare service facilities in Huanxian County,including 285 eldercare facilities and 268 medical and health facilities,and the spatial distribution is characterized by a southward shift in the east and uneven regional distribution.Overall,the supply capacity of rural pension services was generally good,with the township center as the gathering point and spreading out in a faceted manner,with nearby townships forming a contiguous area;however,there were strong contrasts and obvious differences in the strength of supply capacity.However,the spatial equity of rural eldercare service was poor.In 42.05%of the eld-erly population grid cells,eldercare service spatial equity was extremely low.The spatial distribution also presented a northern preference over the southern,a western preference over the eastern,and a concentration along the highway.The study explored the realization of spatial equity in the optimal allocation of rural elderly services based on paying attention to the refined needs of the rural elderly pop-ulation,a vulnerable group,to provide a reference for solving the shortcomings of basic public services in rural areas.The fair allocation of rural elderly services demands that the spatial optimization of facility layout be organically coordinated with policy,management,and post-maintenance,and all elements in the rural territorial system be fully mobilized to achieve the basic guarantee of China’s rural elderly problems.

New Rural Community Construction or Retention Development:A Comparative Analysis of Rural Settlement Transition Mechanism in Plain Agriculture Area of China Based on Actor Network Theory

It is an important way to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development to guide rural settlement transition(RST)in an appropriate way.This paper uses actor network theory(ANT)to construct a theoretical framework for the study of RST.Taking two typical villages with different transition paths in rural areas of North China Plain as examples,this paper reveals the mechanism of RST and makes a comparative analysis.The results show that:1)after identifying problems and obligatory passage point,key actors recruit heterogeneous actors into the actor network by entrusting them with common interests,and realize RST under the system operation.2)Rural settlements under different transition paths have similarities in the problems to be solved,collective actions and policy factors,but there are differences in the transition process,mechanism and effect.The actor network and mechanism of RST through the path of new rural community construction are more complex and the transition effect is more thorough.In contrast,the degree of RST of retention development path is limited if there is no resource and location advantage.3)Based on the applicable conditions of different paths,this paper designs a logical framework of‘Situation-Structure-Behavior-Result’to scientifically guide the identification of RST paths under the background of rural revitalization.

Spatial Coupling Relationship and Driving Mechanism of Population and Economy in Rural Areas in Qinling-Daba Mountains,China

Addressing the issue of the healthy and coordinated development of the population and economic factors in rural areas will not only help consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation,but will also lay a foundation for comprehensive rural revitalization.In this paper,the spatial coupling relationship between the population and economic factors in rural areas in the QinlingDaba Mountains,China,is explored to provide a reference for rural revitalization and regional sustainable development in poverty areas.Sixty-eight county units in rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains,as well as the population and economic factors in rural areas,are used to study the spatial coupling relationship between population and economy,as well as the driving mechanism,in rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains from 2010 to 2020.The results show that a population contraction phenomenon occurred in the rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains,and the spatial agglomeration trends of the population and economic factors were consistent.The agglomeration was mainly located in the suburban areas of the municipal area,and the agglomeration degree was significantly higher in these areas than in other areas.In terms of the spatial distribution,the economic development level of the rural areas in the northeastern part of the Qinling-Daba Mountains was generally higher than that in the central and western parts,and the unbalanced trends of the population and economic spatial differentiation in the eastern and western regions were significant.The spatial coupling relationship between the population and economy changed from coordinated development to economic advancement.This was mainly due to the mutual restriction and joint actions of the industrial structure,capital situation,natural environment,policies,and institutional regulations,among which the industrial structure and capital status had significant effects.

Trade-off and Synergy of Rural Functions Under County Depopulation in the Typical Black Soil Region of Northeast China

As the population continues to shrink in the black soil region of Northeast China since 2000,it is critical to master the impact of population shrinkage on rural functions to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development.In this study,we focused on the impacts of depopulation on the evolution and interrelationship of rural subfunctions.Based on the rural function indexes system,the TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution)method,spatial analysis method,and mathematical statistics analysis method were used to summarize the spatial and temporal characteristics of rural function development,as well as the effect of population shrinkage in the typical black soil region of Northeast China.The results showed that depopulation varied in the extent and duration between the forested region and plain areas,which both impacted the trajectories of rural subfunctions evolution.For the economic development function and ecological conservation function,the effect of continuous slight depopulation was beneficial,while the effect of rapid depopulation was adverse,which was exactly opposite to the agricultural production function.All forms of population shrinkage were conducive to the development of the social security function.With the deepening population shrinkage,depopulation mainly promoted the collaborative development between subfunctions in this study,except the relationship between agricultural production and social security function.But effects of depopulation on the interrelationship of rural subfunctions varied between the forested region and plain areas in some cases.The results provided evidence for the cognition that population shrinkage had complicated effects on rural subfunctions.

Rural transformation,income growth,and poverty reduction by region in China in the past four decades

China has experienced rapid rural transformation in the past four decades.Accompanying the rapid transformation is a significant rise in rural household income and a substantial fall in rural poverty.This paper examines the evolutions of and the relationships between rural transformation(high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment)and its outcomes(per capita rural income and rural poverty incidence)using provincial-level data.The results show that 31 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities have undergone significant rural transformation,but the level and speed of rural transformation differed considerably.Moreover,an increased level of rural transformation is often associated with higher per capita rural income and reduced rural poverty incidence.Notably,a category of provincial rural transformation based on high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment is also analyzed.We further discuss the likely impacts of institutions,policies,and investments(IPIs)on rural transformation and conclude with policy implications.

What Drives Migrants Back to Set up Firms?Return-home Entrepreneurial Intention of Rural Migrant Workers in China

The extant literature on international immigrants has discussed migrants’entrepreneurial activities in the context of Western countries but has paid little attention to return-home entrepreneurial intention(RHEI).Rural migrant workers(RMWs)in China,who used to promote rural development by remittances and were characterized by similarities with early international migrants,have gradually returned to their hometowns to initiate entrepreneurial activities.Based on the structured questionnaire conducted in 2015 and 2020in Anhui Province,China,this article combines the concept of mixed embeddedness with the idea of double-layered embeddedness and analyzes the impacts of the social,economic and institutional context in RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations on RMWs’RHEI by using binary logistic regression.The article shows that the social,economic,and institutional environments of RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations have effects on their RHEI.The embeddedness in the economic and informal institutional context in RMWs’RHEI is even more important than personal characteristics.Compared with migration destinations,RMWs’hometowns exert a more influential effect on their RHEI.However,that does not mean that the role of migration destinations can be undervalued.Actually,the better the social,economic,and institutional environments of migration destinations RMWs moved into is,the higher entrepreneurial intention they will have after returning to their hometowns.The article proposes a modified framework in combination of mixed embeddedness with double-layer embeddedness and proves that it is suitable for analyzing RMWs’RHEI.The framework has important implications for strengthening China’s RMWs to return home to start their own businesses.

The impact of the Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)Program on child nutrition outcomes

The Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)is an important unconditional cash transfer program to alleviate poverty in rural China.Despite the importance of children’s nutrition in breaking poverty cycles,little is known about the impact of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes.Using China Family Panel Studies(CFPS),this paper examines the effects of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes and investigates potential pathways and heterogeneous effects.We exploit propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques to evaluate the effects of the Rural Dibao program on child nutrition outcomes.Our results suggest that Rural Dibao significantly impacts the nutrition outcomes of children up to 15 years of age.Specifically,our results suggest that Rural Dibao improves child height-to-age z-scores by 1.05 standard deviations and lowers the probability of stunting by 11.9 percentage points.Additional analyses suggest that increased protein intake is the main pathway through which Rural Dibao participation contributes to better nutrition outcomes.We also find that the effect of the program is more pronounced among girls,children who are non-left-behind or live with highly educated mothers,and those from low-income families and poor areas.Our findings suggest that Rural Dibao participation helps improve child nutrition outcomes through improving diet quality.

Better nutrition, healthier mind? Experimental evidence from primary schools in rural northwestern China

Malnutrition and mental health problems are both prevalent among rural students in China. To provide a better understanding of the functional linkage between these two problems, this study estimates the causal effect of improved nutrition on rural students’ mental health status, exploiting a randomized controlled trial involving 6 044 fourth and fifth graders in rural northwestern China. Estimation results show that a nutrition subsidy provided by the project significantly improved students’ mental health status(measured by their anxiety scale). However, an add-on incentive provided to school principals, which was tied to anemia reduction, almost entirely offset the beneficial impact of the nutrition subsidy. These findings suggest that to improve students’ mental health in rural China, not only direct subsidies, such as low-priced school meals, but also correct incentives, especially those tied closely to students’ mental health outcomes, should be provided.

Relationship between Migration and HIV Risky Behavior: a Comparative Study of Returning Migrants and Non Migrants Based on Rural Out-of-school Youth in Jilin, China

Objective To estimate the relationship between migration and HIV risky behavior when controlling for gender, age, and educational levels and to evaluate the gender differences in migration, HIV knowledge, and HIV risky behaviors among rural youth in China. Methods A cross-sectional, anonymous, investigative questionnaire for 1710 unmarried, out-of-school rural youth, aged between 15 and 24 years, was handed out in Gongzhuling county of Jilin province, China. Results 58.5% of participants had a history of migration, irrespective of gender. There were gender differences observed in other factors such as drug abuse（4.3% for males and 5.5% for females, P〈0.01）, multiple sexual partners（24.1% for males and 44.1% for females, P〈0.01）, and HIV knowledge rate（35.2% for males and 25.5% for females, P〈0.001）. While controlling for gender, age, and educational levels, the relationships between migration and drug abuse, selling sex, and non usage of condoms during last instance of sexual activity were found to be significant. The cases of premarital sex and multiple sexual partners were both not found to be related to migration. Conclusion Among rural youth, the HIV risky behavior such as drug abuse, selling sex, and lack of condom use, is significantly related to migration, while premarital sex and multiple sexual partners seem unrelated to migration.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Urban-rural Construction Land in Rural Industrialized Areas in China:Case Studies in Changyuan City and Xinxiang County of Henan Province

Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978,the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization in China had led to dramatic changes in the pattern of urban-rural land use.In this paper,we focused on the rural industrialized areas in central China(Xinxiang County and Changyuan City of Henan Province).We used the average nearest neighbor index,spatial statistical analysis,and a structural equation model to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of urban-rural construction land based on multisource spatial data and survey data.The results showed that:1)from 1975 to 2019,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas had evolved from homogeneous distribution to local agglomeration.In terms of comparative analysis of cases,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in Changyuan City had shown a trend from diffusion to agglomeration,and Xinxiang County had overall shown a spatial change from homogenization to agglomeration and then to regional integration development.2)The hot spots with increased urban-rural construction land significantly expanded,and they had a high degree of spatial overlap with industrial development.Among them,Xinxiang County was concentrated in central and marginal areas,and Changyuan was mainly concentrated in central urban areas.3)From the evolution of spatial proximity of urban-rural construction land,rural industrialized areas generally decline,showing the characteristics of internal differentiation in the rate of change.4)Industrial development,social economy,the policy environment,and urban development played a positive role in promoting the expansion of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas.To promote the optimal use of regional land and the integrated development of urban-rural areas,we should combine the advantages of regional endowment,formulate development strategies according to local conditions,and adjust the way that land is used in a timely manner.

Spatial Distribution of Different Types of Villages for Rural Revitalization Strategy and Their Influencing Factors:A Case of Jilin Province,China

Village classification is the first step to implementing China’s rural revitalization(RR)strategy,and understanding the geographic differences in the distribution of village types helps to grasp the pathway of their unique development.This study spatialized9250 villages in Jilin Province(divided into six types)of China,and their distribution characteristics and influencing factors were examined using methods such as kernel density estimation,Ripley’s K function,the co-location quotient,and Geodetector.The results indicate that the spatial distribution balance and density of village types are different.All types of villages show an agglomeration distribution pattern,but the scale and intensity vary.There is a strong spatial association between agglomerative promotion(AP)and stable improvement(SIm)villages,as well as between characteristic protection(CP)and prospering frontier and enriching people(PE)villages.The factors affecting their distribution include terrain undulation,the percentage of arable land,the distance to the county town,road network density,population density,gross domestic product(GDP),and industrial enterprise density.The influencing factors for the distribution of village types are closely related to the function of each village.Based on the differences in the spatial distribution and influencing factors of different village types,policy suggestions are given for classified development.

Withdrawal Intention of Farmers from Vacant Rural Homesteads and Its Influencing Mechanism in Northeast China: A Case Study of Jilin Province

The effective use of land in Northeast China is of great significance for ensuring national food security and regional rural revitalization.In this study,based on the survey data collected from Jilin Province,Northeast China,we analyzed the vacancy rates of rural homesteads in suburban,outer suburban,and remote villages,as well as the withdrawal intention of rural-settled farmers,urbansettled farmers,and farmers with urban and rural dual residency from vacant homesteads.From the perspective of farmers’perceptions,this study constructed a theoretical framework of the influence mechanism of their withdrawal intention and analyzed such mechanism by constructing a structural equation model.The results indicated that:1)rural homestead vacancy rates increased with distance from the village to the city.2)rural-settled farmers showed a low withdrawal intention for vacant rural homesteads,followed by urban and rural dual-residence farmers,and urban-settled farmers showed the highest withdrawal intention.3)the relative importance of the factors influencing withdrawal intention is in the following order:policy awareness>interest perception>living environment perception>family characteristics.Finally,this study discussed the reformation of the homestead system and rural homestead transition in Northeast China,which can provide policy support to increase the potential of cultivated land and promote sustainable rural development and urban-rural coordination.

Path of Rural Vitalization Based on Coupling Perspective of Township Construction and Resource Environment in Jiangsu Province,China

Recently,the field of rural vitalization has received extensive research attention.However,only few studies have proposed an approach to rural vitalization from the coupling perspective of township construction and the resource environment.Taking Jiangsu Province of China as the study area,we constructed index systems of township construction function types and resource environments.Based on 875 township study units in Jiangsu,we characterized the township construction function type and resource environment and analyzed the dynamic process of their coupling from 2005 to 2017.The results are as follows:1)the townships of planting and breeding types in Jiangsu were mainly distributed in northern and central Jiangsu;the townships of business travel,industry,and integrated types were mainly distributed in southern Jiangsu;and the townships of ecological type were irregularly distributed throughout Jiangsu.2)Resource environment factors and township construction function types in Jiangsu clustered based on their location with some overlap.3)Spatial variability in the degree of coupling level between township construction and the resource environment in Jiangsu was not apparent,and low coupling levels accounted for most of the study units.The sum of the number of medium and high coupling townships in southern,central,and northern Jiangsu was roughly equal,and the coupling level between township construction and the resource environment in southern Jiangsu evolved remained unchanged,whereas that in the central and northern Jiangsu became imbalanced.4)In Jiangsu,township construction was mainly constrained by water resources,and the constraint parameters gradually increase.Large variability in resource environment constraint was observed in northern,central,and southern Jiangsu for different township construction function types.Based on these findings,we proposed the implementation of targeted rural vitalization strategies.

Characterization of Wastewater in School Environments for an Ecological Treatment Solution: A Case Study of Ndiebene Gandiol 1 School

The study conducted at Ndiebene Gandiol 1 school in Senegal has unveiled serious environmental and public health challenges. The wastewater analysis revealed high levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and fecal coliforms, signaling potential risks to the well-being of students and staff. This situation mirrors a wider issue in rural educational settings, where inadequate sanitation persists. Intensive wastewater treatment options are known for their effectiveness against high pollutant loads but are resource-intensive in both energy and cost. Conversely, extensive treatment systems, while requiring more land, provide a sustainable alternative by harnessing natural processes for pollutant removal. The research suggests a hybrid treatment approach could serve the school’s needs, balancing the robust capabilities of intensive methods with the ecological benefits of extensive systems. Such a solution would need to be tailored to the specific environmental, financial, and logistical context of the school, based on comprehensive feasibility studies and stakeholder engagement. This study’s findings underscore the urgency of addressing sanitation in schools, as it is intrinsically linked to the health and academic success of students. Quick, effective, and long-term strategies are vital to secure a healthier and more prosperous future for the youth. With proper implementation, the school can transform its sanitation facilities, setting a precedent for rural educational institutions in Senegal and similar contexts globally.

Post-disaster spatial reconstruction from the perspective of a rural settlement niche in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River

Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction provide an effective way to reduce the disaster vulnerability of, and promote leapfrog development in, an affected area. To date, studies that have used administrative boundaries to investigate the reconstruction of settlement space have not been able to clearly define the real boundaries of land use changes or quantify the degree of response to the ‘Build-Back-Better’ initiative, and have lacked any consideration of the fourth reconstruction stage–development period(10 years). This study constructed a mountain settlement niche and analyzed the characteristics, spatial reconstruction, and drivers of rural settlements during 2009–2019 in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, southwest China. The results showed the following:(1) Natural factors were the basis for the formation and development of mountain settlement niches. The scale of the settlement niche and its land use structure depended on the physical geography features and the ethnic farming and grazing traditions. The settlement niche provided a realistic boundary for the spatial reconstruction.(2) The layout of residential land around cropland was the common feature of the mountain settlement niche. Of all the land use types, the roads and rural residential lands showed the most change over the 10 years;13,860 residential patches increased in size and 4,742 patches were abandoned.(3) The area of orchards, planted to reconstruct the economy in the mountains, increased by nearly 2.5 times.(4) Collapses, landslides, and debris flow disasters and the ecological red line influenced the spatial reconstruction. While the main focus of post-disaster recovery is spatial reconstruction, initiatives should include economic and spiritual recovery, and should also achieve sustainable development of the region.

Influence of Transportation Accessibility on Urban-rural Income Disparity and Its Spatial Heterogeneity

Transportation accessibility has been treated as an important means of reducing the urban-rural income disparity.However,only a few studies have examined the effects of different types of transportation accessibility on urban-rural income disparity and their spatial heterogeneity.Based on data from 285 prefecture-level(and above)Chinese cities in 2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2020,this study uses spatial econometric models to examine how highway accessibility and railway accessibility influence the urban-rural income disparity and to identify their spatial heterogeneity.The result reveals that highway accessibility and railway accessibility have‘coreperiphery’ring-like circle structures.The urban-rural income disparity exhibits strong spatial clustering effects.Both highway accessibility and railway accessibility are negatively associated with urban-rural income disparity,and the former having a greater effect size.Moreover,there is a substitution effect between highway accessibility and railway accessibility in the whole sample.Furthermore,these associations differ in geographic regions.In the central region,highway accessibility is more important in reducing the urban-rural income disparity,but its effect is weakened with the increase of railway accessibility.In the western region,railway accessibility has a larger effect on narrowing the urban-rural income disparity,and this effect is strengthened by the increase of highway accessibility.We conclude that improving transportation accessibility is conducive to reducing the urban-rural income disparity but its effect is spatial heterogenetic.Highways and railways should be developed in a coordinated manner to promote an integrated transport network system.

Water Pollution Situation and Impacts in Rural China

With the development of national economics, water pollution is becoming a critical problem in rural China. This research presented a brief view of water pollution situation in rural areas of China in terms of water shortage, water-pollutant sources, eutrophication of water bodies and pollution development in temporal scale. Analysis was conducted on the negative effects of water pollution on human health, agricultural plantation and animal husbandry. Subsequently, some suggestions were proposed for wastewater treatment in rural areas.

Study on Innovation-oriented Strategies for Rural Tourism Development in China

Through reviewing development of China's rural tourism industry, its history, scale, geographical distribution and development form was introduced briefly, and then motives of rural tourism development were analyzed from the perspectives of tourism industry restructuring, agricultural restructuring, economic foundation, time foundation and spiritual needs. Common problems in the present rural tourism development were proposed as:aggravated environment pollution, low-grade product and insufficient participatory contents, ineffective marketing means, and shortage of talents. In view of these problems, innovative development strategies of rural tourism industry were studied, and it was proposed that environmental pollution supervision should be enhanced from all aspects of developer, manager, tourist and government; diversified tourist products should be developed, such as participatory products for tourist experiencing public-spirited characters, obtaining knowledge of rural areas, renting "Happy Farm", and taking wedding photos; various propagation means can be applied in marketing to enhance the brand building; training talents for rural tourism development in various means.