Suchergebnisse

We examined the distribution of health insurance in China during 1997-2006, a period when government interventions were implemented to improve access to health care. We analyzed data from a survey that follows households in nine provinces that are home to more than 40 percent of China's population. The analysis shows that the percentage of individuals with insurance increased from 24 percent in 1997 to 28 percent in 2004 and then rose dramatically, to 49 percent in 2006. Rural and urban levels of insurance coverage became more similar, reflecting a dramatic upswing in coverage in rural areas that is likely to have benefited millions of rural Chinese. At the same time, the analysis suggests that health insurance reimbursement rates to consumers for inpatient care might have declined in rural villages. Because reimbursement and other insurance characteristics affect health care use, future efforts to reduce rural-urban disparities should address the quality of health insurance and the level of reimbursement in addition to coverage rates.

AbstractIn Malawi, Africa, the median age at first marriage is among the lowest on the continent and adolescent fertility rates are among the highest. Using high‐frequency panel data from the country designed to follow single women and men into marriage, we examine the extent to which premarital fertility is associated with the timing of marriage. Two notable findings emerge. First, premarital fertility typically leads to a more rapid transition into marriage, compared to not having had a premarital conception or birth, and this effect is as strong for men as it is for women. Second, among women with premarital fertility, those who are wealthier, and those who have two parents alive, have lower odds ofnotmarrying. Among men with premarital fertility, however, no patterns predict their subsequent marital outcomes. This study contributes to the literature on fertility and marriage in sub‐Saharan Africa by including men in the analysis.

In this paper, we describe the measurement of cognitive ability in the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), especially for verbal skill, mathematical skill, memory, and quantitative reasoning. The available CFPS cognitive measurements can be useful for studies on the importance of cognitive ability in many substantive domains of interest. Using the CFPS data, we show that measures of cognitive ability are clearly related to key demographic and social characteristics, such as age, gender, education, and hukou status. We also illustrate how cognitive ability influences school performance and deviant behaviors among children, income and political capital among adults, and daily functioning among the elderly.

This book addresses the integration of the Internet and finance which recently has been one of the most notable topics of discussion in the media, the business community, academia, and among policymakers, both in China and worldwide. As a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the one of the fastest growing industries in China, the book covers all the most important areas and issues in the crowdfunding industry in China, including the definition, types, and history of crowdfunding, the scale of the crowdfunding market, the basic business models and risk analysis of crowdfunding, the characteristics of the typical crowdfunding platforms, case studies of the leading crowdfunding platforms in China, and the future development of the crowdfunding industry in China. The book combines theoretical analysis with conceptual discussions and best practices in the crowdfunding industry in China. It is of interest to a variety of readers around the globe, such as (1) existing and potential fund demanders; (2) existing and potential fund providers; (3) investors and professionals running crowdfunding platforms; (4) professionals and major shareholders of traditional financial institutions; (5) staff in regulatory government agencies; (6) academics; and (7) the general public.

This book, as a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of one of the fastest-growing industries in China, covers all the most important areas and issues in the country's online lending industry. It includes, but is not limited to, the history of online lending, the scale of the online lending market, the basic business models in and a risk analysis of online lending, the characteristics of typical online-lending borrowers and investors/lenders, the root causes of bankruptcy among failed online lending platforms, a comparative analysis of online lending platforms inside and outside China, the overall ranking of online lending platforms in China, and, finally, the outlook for the online lending industry in the future. The integration of Internet and finance has, in recent years, been among the most notable topics discussed in the media, the business community and academia, both in China and worldwide. The chapters are supplemented with detailed case studies, which include illustrations and tables, and the book combines theoretical analysis with conceptual discussions of and best practices in the online lending industry. It will be of interest to a variety of readers worldwide, including: (1) existing and potential online borrowers; (2) existing and potential online lenders; (3) investors and professionals running online lending platforms; (4) traditional bankers and major shareholders in traditional financial institutions; (5) staff in regulatory government agencies; (6) academics; and (7) the general public.

This study examined the role of women's political leadership at the community level in China, a context that has experienced recent political and socioeconomic change and has a distinctive rural-urban divide. Drawing on longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (N = 40,918~52,406 person-year observations), we found that female community directors outnumbered male directors in urban China but were much less common in rural areas. Female community directors had higher levels of human capital regardless of rural or urban location. Residents living in female-directed communities reported better mental health, but not physical health or life satisfaction, compared to those living in male-directed communities, and this association was most robust among rural women. For rural women, the mental health benefit of living in female-directed communities was partially explained by reduced personal experience of gender discrimination, suggesting that female leadership fosters ideational change toward women that lowers discriminatory behaviors among constituents.

Rural-to-urban migration is increasingly common among youths in developing countries and could affect sexual activities with consequences for premarital pregnancies. We use life history data collected in Kisumu, Kenya, to investigate how the timing and number of rural-to-urban moves are associated with premarital pregnancy. Among sexually experienced young women aged 18 to 24 ( N = 226), 60 percent had moved at least once in the past 10 years and 38 percent had experienced a premarital pregnancy. Results of the event history analysis show that those who experienced one or two moves were at increased risk for premarital pregnancy compared to nonmovers. Also at increased risk were movers whose most recent move occurred in the past 7 to 12 months. Finally, those whose last move occurred at age 13 or younger were also at an elevated risk. Migration brings about specific risks and needs for youths, including the need for sexual and reproductive health education and services, which should be made available and accessible to new urban residents.

Migration during the formative adolescent years can affect important life‐course transitions, including the initiation of sexual activity. In this study, we use life history calendar data to investigate the relationship between changes in residence and timing of premarital sexual debut among young people in urban Kenya. By age 18, 64 percent of respondents had initiated premarital sex, and 45 percent had moved at least once between the ages of 12 and 18. Results of the event history analysis show that girls and boys who move during early adolescence experience the earliest onset of sexual activity. For adolescent girls, however, other dimensions of migration provide protective effects, with greater numbers of residential changes and residential changes in the last one to three months associated with later sexual initiation. To support young people's ability to navigate the social, economic, and sexual environments that accompany residential change, researchers and policymakers should consider how various dimensions of migration affect sexual activity.