Multidimensional energy poverty and depression among China's older adults

Abstract

Older adults often face more pronounced energy inequality in their daily lives, which is one of the reasons for their accumulation of stress or anxiety and may further aggravate their depression. Analyzing the relationship between energy poverty and the depression level of China's older adults will provide policy enlightenment for solving the problems of older adults' relative poverty, energy poverty, and mental poverty and thus promote happy and healthy aging. In this paper, using the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2018, we used the entropy weighting method to objectively assign weights to 10 indicators reflecting the status of energy poverty and construct a multidimensional energy poverty index for older adults. First, we analyzed the relationship between multidimensional energy poverty and the depression levels of older adults using multiple linear regression model and quantile regression models. Next, we used instrumental variable linear regression model and instrumental variable quantile regression models for endogeneity tests. Then, we performed a robustness check by replacing the core explanatory variable. After that, we conducted heterogeneity analyses by residential area, type of residence, and solitary status. Finally, we analyzed the mediating role of life satisfaction using structural equation modeling. Multidimensional energy poverty has aggravated depression among older adults, and the effect is greater for older adults with higher depression levels. The effect of multidimensional energy poverty on depression is greater for older adults in western China, urban areas, and those who live alone. Multidimensional energy poverty has aggravated depression among older adults by reducing their life satisfaction.

Indoor thermal comfort in a rural dwelling in southwest China

“…In contrast with urban residents, who heavily rely on energy-consuming active cooling equipment, rural dwellers prefer traditional cooling strategies (e.g., using a fan ). Besides the consumption value “frugality,” energy poverty ( 51 ) and low income ( 52 ) make rural dwellers reluctant to pay much for cooling. We hope that mounting studies on rural dwellers' strategy of using air-conditioners for cooling will appear in recent years and that the differences in health effects between using traditional cooling strategies and air-conditioners can be deeply investigated.…”

Learning from the Past: The Impacts of Economic Crises on Energy Poverty Mortality and Rural Vulnerability

“…The Marmot Review, one of the most widely cited reports on the Health Impacts of Cold Homes and Fuel Poverty [22], found a strong relationship between cold temperatures and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, reconstructing links between cold housing and minor illnesses such as colds and flu. Beyond the physical consequences of inadequate housing on human wellbeing, in the literature, poor mental health has also been associated with conditions of energy poverty, implicating social isolation and anxiety in poor living conditions, debt management, and inadequate temperature conditions [22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. For decades, specific population groups have been described as being most vulnerable to the effects of low temperatures, including the elderly, children, and people with disabilities and existing physical or mental health conditions [29][30][31].…”

Energy Inequality Indicators: A Comprehensive Review for Exploring Ways to Reduce Inequality

“…Energy inequality has become a significant research topic due to its social, economic, and environmental implications. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including social sciences, economics, public policy, and even engineering, are now exploring different aspects of energy inequality, such as the factors that contribute to energy inequality, the economic and social impacts of energy inequality [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15], the impact on health [13,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], the impact on vulnerable members of the society [24][25][26][27][28][29], the impact on environmental quality [30][31][32][33][34][35][36], and the policies and strategies that can help to promote energy access and equity. Recent advancements in data collection and analysis have also enabled researchers to better understand the magnitude and distribution of energy inequality across different regions and populations.…”

“…This systematic literature review has identified that various terms are used to address similar aspects of energy inequality (see Figure 1) [17], including energy poverty [9,14,18,20,21,26,32,37], energy insecurity [17,38], fuel poverty [39][40][41][42][43], environmental inequality [34], carbon inequality [44], and environmental degradation [13,31,36]. To achieve the objective of this study, which is to identify energy inequality dimensions and their indicators and explore ways to reduce them, it is crucial to establish a common understanding and terminology.…”

“…Additionally, energy inequality and insecurity in households have adverse effects on well-being and health, impacting behavioral, physical, and social-psychological aspects of health [17]. Research indicates that elderly individuals often face higher levels of energy inequality in their daily lives, leading to increased stress and anxiety [21]. Also, consequences of energy poverty for the elderly include vulnerability to health problems exacerbated by cold and heat and more time spent at home [20].…”