Household Registration System and Health in China: A Life Course Approach

• In Event: 3181 - Section on Asia and Asian America Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 04. Government and Civil Society

Abstract

It has been established that there is a rural-urban divide in health profiles due to differences in place of residence. In this paper, we add an institutional dimension of the rural-urban health gradient – rural and urban hukou, which codifies the rural-urban divide into social status and grants differential benefits to two social groups in the context of China. We investigate how hukou system interplayed with place of residence to leave an imprint on the health profiles of individuals. Using China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we found that hukou status is independently associated with individual’s physical and mental health. Hukou mobility and the timing of mobility plays in different health aspects of individuals. Instantaneous hukou conversion with migration benefits the mental health of rural-urban migrants, and an extended period of waiting time for hukou mobility may do more harm to their mental health than non-mobility.
 

Authors

• Qian Song, RAND Corporation

• James Smith, RAND Corporation