Environmental Health Crises and Public Health Outcomes: Using China’s Empirical Data to Verify the Joint Role of Environmental Regulation and Internet Development

Abstract

Environmental regulation (ER) and internet development (ID) are important options for addressing the environmental health crisis, but the actual impact of both on public health outcomes (PHOs) is still unclear. This study aims to explain how and to what extent China’s ER and ID jointly affect PHO. This is especially important for enhancing the degree of coordination between ecosystems and socioeconomic systems and realizing a harmonious symbiotic relationship between human beings and nature. Unlike previous studies, this paper innovatively incorporates ER and ID into the Grossman health production function, establishing a research framework that includes these factors and their impact on PHO. We employed the provincial panel data from China to methodically analyze the importance of ER and ID in responding to environmental health crises and improving public health, so as to close the gaps in the literature. On the basis of the validation of pollution in China endangering PHO and having heterogeneous manifestations, this paper employed a moderating effect model to confirm that ER and ID can mitigate the harm pollution has on PHO. Furthermore, the two have both demonstrated considerable PHO improvement impacts, with the regional heterogeneity of ER’s PHO improvement effect being more pronounced. The usage of the spatial effects model proves that ER and ID have significant spatial performance. Furthermore, as the internet develops, the PHO-improving effects of both comprehensive ER and diverse environmental regulatory tools are becoming more pronounced. According to the study’s findings, the government should consider ER and ID as major policy alternatives for improving national health. We developed a policy framework that incorporates multiple measures to boost public health protection in the two, and which aids in the exploration and improvement of feasible solutions to improve public health levels.