The Effect of Household Technology on Weight and Health Outcomes among Chinese Adults: Evidence from China’s “Home Appliances Going to the Countryside” Policy

Abstract

We utilize the variations in home appliance adoption generated by China’s Home Appliances Going to the Countryside policy to isolate the actual effects of household technology on weight and health outcomes. Using difference-in-differences and instrumental variable approaches, we find that the policy-induced technological change has increased the probability of being obese and the incidence of being sick or injured for rural women but has had no impact on rural men. Our results also indicate that household technology has increased female labor force participation but has decreased women’s overall levels of energy expenditure.