The Impact of Financial Literacy on Household Health Investment: Empirical Evidence from China

Abstract

Based on the 2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) data, this paper used factor analysis to measure the level of financial literacy of surveyed householders and used the Probit model and the negative binomial model to test the impact of financial literacy (<i>FL</i>) on household health investment (<i>HHI</i>). The results show that: (1) <i>FL</i> is an essential influencing factor in increasing participation in <i>HHI</i>, and householders with a higher level of <i>FL</i> are also more willing to pay for diversified investments. (2) We split the <i>FL</i> level from the two dimensions of knowledge and ability. We found that the primary <i>FL</i> (including financial knowledge, computing ability, and correct recognition of investment product risk) plays a more critical role in the investment decision process. (3) When information sources, health knowledge, and family income are used as mediating variables, <i>FL</i> can influence the decisions of <i>HHI</i> in three ways: expanding information sources, enriching health knowledge, and alleviating income constraints. (4) By analyzing the heterogeneity of household heads in different regions and with different personal characteristics, we found that the medical level of the household location and the life and work experience of the householders played a moderating role.