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The association between digitalization and individual health has attracted increasing attention from both scholars and policymakers. Existing research, however, has not agreed on whether digitization can improve health or reduce health inequality. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether and how the development of digitalization may be related to health and health disparities. We rely on China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) surveys from 2012 to 2018 to obtain a sample of 82,471 observations to explore the impact of digitalization on self-rated health and health inequality and its transmission mechanisms. The hypotheses are tested by Ordinary Least Squares Modeling. As expected, digitalization is significantly and positively correlated with self-rated health. Furthermore, the development of digitalization has led to a notable decrease in health inequality. The influencing mechanisms of digitalization include income, healthcare consumption and health behaviors. Both dimensions of digitalization—internet development and digital finance—generate significant effects and the effects of internet development are greater. This study is the first to systematically investigate the impact of digitalization development on health and health inequality. Our findings provide evidence for the health promotion theory by clarifying the benefits of digitalization in improving residents' health and reducing health inequality. Therefore, utilizing the tools of digitalization efficiently could be a focus of policymakers aiming to accomplish the SDGs' health targets. • This paper contributes to assess the health outcomes of digitalization in China. • Developing digitalization has greatly improved self-rated health of residents. • Also, digitalization has reduced health inequality between residents. • Digitalization can affect health through income, health consumption and behaviors. • Digitalization is a useful tool for policymakers to reach the SDGs' health goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Indicators concerning ecotourism and riparian ecosystem functioning differed among rural, transitional, and urban areas. • The riparian ecosystem functioning index outperformed the recreational activities and values index along the Three Gorges Reservoir. • The impacts of ecotourism on ecological indicators were minor to moderate. • Agricultural activities and boat ramps largely negatively affected ecosystem functioning. • The zoning of waterways requires innovative planning and conservation measures on a global scale. Ecotourism activities in riparian zones have heightened concern about protecting riparian health indicators (RHIs). Ecotourism in riparian zones is growing significantly, but its management requires trade-offs between recreational activities and ecological functions. This paper aims to show how people's recreational activities affect RHIs along mega-reservoirs and around dams. Investigators collected data from 301 transects inside the riparian zones of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir (TGDR) in China, taking rural, rural–urban transitional, and urban land-use patterns into account. The Kruskal-Wallis tests (p < 0.01) found that the RHI index was significantly greater than the recreational activity and value index along the TGDR, with the RHI index being higher in the transitional basins. The Pearson correlation tests (p < 0.05) revealed that recreational activities were associated with both positive and negative aspects of RHIs, with significant correlations ranging from low to moderate. The key factors of ecotourism and RHIs determined by principal component analysis explained 65.36 % of the total variation. Furthermore, hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that these characteristics were distributed differently in rural, rural–urban transitional, and urban land-use patterns. Findings indicated that zoning might be an essential option for the long-term use of riparian zone ecosystem services around water resources. Consequently, people should be made aware of the importance of RHIs, and governments should support progressive policies that lead to a change in attitudes and actions towards RHIs conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the relationship between parents' son preference in a person's childhood and their health when they become older, and tested whether childhood educational opportunities, health level, and care resources play mediating roles in this relationship. China has entered a stage of aging population. The health of the elderly determines whether the government can successfully cope with the challenges brought about by the aging of the population. Chinese people are deeply influenced by Confucianism. The concept of "son preference" is related to residents' parenting strategies. Then, if one's parents exhibit a son preference in their childhood, will it affect one's health in old age? Based on the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study collected in 2014, this paper uses the least square method to analyze the impact of parents' preference in childhood for boys on the health of the elderly, and uses Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) to analyze the mediating effects of childhood educational opportunities, health level and care resources. This study found that parents' preference for boys had a positive impact on the health of male children when they became elderly but had a negative impact on the health of female children when they became elderly. Childhood educational opportunities, health level, and care resources mediated this relationship. It is necessary to analyze the impact of parents' preference for sons in one's childhood on the health of elderly, and intervene the adverse factors affecting the health, to improve the health level and quality of life of the elderly. • Parents' preference for boys had a significant impact on older people's health. • The effect relies on the mediating role of childhood education, health, and care resources. • The idea of prioritizing boys over girls be changed, to improve the health level of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]