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Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers’ intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers’ intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one’s intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors’ advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers’ past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers’ self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.

Background: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methods: A population-based sample of 8194 participants aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo were used from China’s 2017 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. We use multivariate regression analysis to disentangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results: We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. This might arise because having one or more chronic conditions is associated with better knowledge about chronic diseases, thus improve their health literacy. More importantly, we find health literacy is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of having a comorbid condition. However, this protective effect is only found among urban residents, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of health literacy in preventing comorbidities instead of preventing the first chronic condition. Moreover, family support could help improve health literacy and result in beneficial effects on health.

Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers’ intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers’ intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one’s intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors’ advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers’ past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers’ self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.

Background: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methods: A population-based sample of 8194 participants aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo were used from China’s 2017 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. We use multivariate regression analysis to disentangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results: We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. This might arise because having one or more chronic conditions is associated with better knowledge about chronic diseases, thus improve their health literacy. More importantly, we find health literacy is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of having a comorbid condition. However, this protective effect is only found among urban residents, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of health literacy in preventing comorbidities instead of preventing the first chronic condition. Moreover, family support could help improve health literacy and result in beneficial effects on health.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

China is currently facing unprecedented health challenges; non-communicable diseases (NCD) now account for 80 percent of its 10.3 million deaths annually. China’s growing health challenges arise, at least in part, due to its rapidly aging population and are compounded by its inadequate social security provision and rapid urbanization. This dissertation examines the extent to the health and well-being of the elderly in China are affected in the presence of these demographic and social changes. It uses data from a rich but relatively underutilized data source, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). CHARLS is the first Health and Retirement Study (HRS) of its kind in China, and as such represents a rich source of data on health and well-being for the country. A two-province sample was piloted in 2008 and followed up in 2012, while a national wave was surveyed in 2011. This dissertation is a collection of three self-contained empirical studies on the health and well-being of the elderly in China. The first study examines the effect that chronic diseases have on different dimensions of health in a structural equation framework. The second study examines the extent to which elderly households are able to continue to finance their consumption in the presence of ill-health and the extent to which health insurance and family support from children play a role. In the last study, we further investigate the effect that adult children’s migration decisions have on the physical and subjective well-being of their elderly parents.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers’ intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers’ intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one’s intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors’ advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers’ past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers’ self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.

Background: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methods: A population-based sample of 8194 participants aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo were used from China’s 2017 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. We use multivariate regression analysis to disentangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results: We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. This might arise because having one or more chronic conditions is associated with better knowledge about chronic diseases, thus improve their health literacy. More importantly, we find health literacy is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of having a comorbid condition. However, this protective effect is only found among urban residents, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of health literacy in preventing comorbidities instead of preventing the first chronic condition. Moreover, family support could help improve health literacy and result in beneficial effects on health.

Objectives Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, factors that may be confounding the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methodology A sample of 2,835 residents aged 14-71 years old in Ningbo province of China were selected from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance Survey in 2017. The multivariate regression analysis is used to untangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. In contrast, we find having one or more chronic conditions leads to better knowledge about chronic diseases and thus improved health literacy on chronic disease prevention. Thus, when a respondent has one chronic disease, health literacy could reduce the incidence of a new chronic condition (comorbidities). However, the protective effect of health literacy is only found among our urban sample, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion Our findings highlight that health literacy plays a more important role in helping individuals preventing comorbidity than preventing their first chronic disease. Moreover, family support could be a potential channel through which health literacy accumulates and results in beneficial effects on health.

Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers’ intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers’ intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one’s intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors’ advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers’ past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers’ self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.

Background: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methods: A population-based sample of 8194 participants aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo were used from China’s 2017 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. We use multivariate regression analysis to disentangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results: We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. This might arise because having one or more chronic conditions is associated with better knowledge about chronic diseases, thus improve their health literacy. More importantly, we find health literacy is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of having a comorbid condition. However, this protective effect is only found among urban residents, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of health literacy in preventing comorbidities instead of preventing the first chronic condition. Moreover, family support could help improve health literacy and result in beneficial effects on health.

China is currently facing unprecedented health challenges; non-communicable diseases (NCD) now account for 80 percent of its 10.3 million deaths annually. China’s growing health challenges arise, at least in part, due to its rapidly aging population and are compounded by its inadequate social security provision and rapid urbanization. This dissertation examines the extent to the health and well-being of the elderly in China are affected in the presence of these demographic and social changes. It uses data from a rich but relatively underutilized data source, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). CHARLS is the first Health and Retirement Study (HRS) of its kind in China, and as such represents a rich source of data on health and well-being for the country. A two-province sample was piloted in 2008 and followed up in 2012, while a national wave was surveyed in 2011. This dissertation is a collection of three self-contained empirical studies on the health and well-being of the elderly in China. The first study examines the effect that chronic diseases have on different dimensions of health in a structural equation framework. The second study examines the extent to which elderly households are able to continue to finance their consumption in the presence of ill-health and the extent to which health insurance and family support from children play a role. In the last study, we further investigate the effect that adult children’s migration decisions have on the physical and subjective well-being of their elderly parents.

Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers’ intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers’ intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China’s National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one’s intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors’ advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers’ past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers’ self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.

Background: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual’s health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the interplay between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Methods: A population-based sample of 8194 participants aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo were used from China’s 2017 National Health Literacy Surveillance Data. We use multivariate regression analysis to disentangle the relationship between health literacy and chronic disease prevention. Results: We find the association between health literacy and the occurrence of the first chronic condition is attenuated after we adjust the results for age and education. This might arise because having one or more chronic conditions is associated with better knowledge about chronic diseases, thus improve their health literacy. More importantly, we find health literacy is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of having a comorbid condition. However, this protective effect is only found among urban residents, suggesting health literacy might be a key factor explaining the rural-urban disparity in health outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role of health literacy in preventing comorbidities instead of preventing the first chronic condition. Moreover, family support could help improve health literacy and result in beneficial effects on health.