The Effect of the Low-Carbon City Pilot Program on the Cognitive Function of Older Adults: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from China.

IF 3.2 2区医学 Q1 GERONTOLOGY

Gerontologist Pub Date : 2025-06-12 DOI:10.1093/geront/gnaf131

Jin Ke, Fei Sun

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Abstract

Background and objectives: In response to the impact of climate change, China initiated the Low-Carbon City Pilot (LCCP) program in 2010. Despite the program's positive environmental outcomes, its influence on health among older adults-an age group highly vulnerable to air pollution-remains understudied. This study aims to investigate the effect of the LCCP program on cognitive health among older Chinese and explore the intermediate pathways involved.

Research design and methods: Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this research employs a staggered difference-in-differences estimator to examine the effects of the LCCP program on cognitive health of older Chinese.

Results: The findings indicate that the LCCP program has been associated with relative improvements in cognitive function of older adults in China, and that this observed positive association has increased over time. Mechanism analysis identifies the enhanced outdoor and indoor air quality, the expansion of green spaces in the city, and increased individual outdoor activity as possible channels through which the LCCP program has exerted its beneficial effects.

Discussion and implications: The positive association of the LCCP program with cognitive function in Chinese older adults highlights the interconnected nature of environmental and health outcomes. As cities worldwide grapple with the challenges of an aging population and climate change, the insights from this study offer practice implications for designing and refining low carbon city initiatives.

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低碳城市试点对老年人认知功能的影响：来自中国的准实验证据。

背景与目标：为应对气候变化的影响，中国于2010年启动了低碳城市试点项目。尽管该项目在环境方面取得了积极成果，但其对老年人健康的影响仍未得到充分研究。老年人是极易受到空气污染影响的年龄组。本研究旨在探讨LCCP项目对中国老年人认知健康的影响，并探讨其中的中间通路。研究设计和方法：本研究利用中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）的数据，采用交错差中差（DID）估计方法来检验LCCP项目对中国老年人认知健康的影响。结果：研究结果表明，LCCP项目与中国老年人认知功能的相对改善有关，并且这种观察到的正相关随着时间的推移而增加。机制分析表明，通过LCCP项目发挥其有益作用，室外和室内空气质量的改善、城市绿地的扩大和个人户外活动的增加成为可能的渠道。讨论和启示：LCCP项目与中国老年人认知功能的正相关突出了环境和健康结果的相互关联性质。随着世界各地的城市都在努力应对人口老龄化和气候变化的挑战，本研究的见解为设计和完善低碳城市倡议提供了实践意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Gerontologist GERONTOLOGY-

CiteScore

11.00

自引率

8.80%

发文量

171

期刊介绍： The Gerontologist, published since 1961, is a bimonthly journal of The Gerontological Society of America that provides a multidisciplinary perspective on human aging by publishing research and analysis on applied social issues. It informs the broad community of disciplines and professions involved in understanding the aging process and providing care to older people. Articles should include a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses. Implications for policy or practice should be highlighted. The Gerontologist publishes quantitative and qualitative research and encourages manuscript submissions of various types including: research articles, intervention research, review articles, measurement articles, forums, and brief reports. Book and media reviews, International Spotlights, and award-winning lectures are commissioned by the editors.