How digital finance shapes residents' health: Evidence from China

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine whether digital finance affects residents' overall and mental health. Findings show that increasing digital finance is positively associated with residents' self-rated health and leads to a lower probability of feeling depressed for them. It is mainly driven by the larger positive health effect on low-socioeconomic residents or those in the eastern region. The possible channels through which digital finance plays a critical role in enhancing residents' health are also analyzed. Digital finance increases residents' consumption on health services, such as family fitness expenditure, raises their probability of purchasing commercial medical insurances, has a positive effect on their hours spent on physical exercises, and enhances their social interaction level, which may mediate the health effect of digital finance. These findings imply that digital finance development is not only an effective tool to stimulate economic growth, it also offers insight into the methods of enhancing individual health and narrowing health disparity among people.