Research on the Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Formation Mechanisms of Intergenerational Health Mobility in China

Intergenerational health mobility serves as a crucial indicator that reflects both social class mobility and health inequality. In this study, we constructed a comprehensive index to evaluate the health of residents in terms of physical, psychological and social adaptation dimensions using data from the China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018. It then measured intergenerational health mobility using the intergenerational rank correlation coefficient method. Furthermore, the dynamic evolutionary trend, spatial differences and their sources, and the convergence characteristics of intergenerational health mobility were revealed by nonparametric kernel density estimation, the Dagum Gini coefficient, and the σ(β) convergence model, respectively. The formation mechanisms were explored using the quadratic assignment procedure. The results showed a general improvement but unbalanced trend of intergenerational health mobility in China, and hypervariable density was identified as the primary factor contributing to this difference. The σ convergence characteristics and β convergence mechanism were verified in China and its three regions. Environmental quality, industrial structure, and accessibility of medical and health resources had significant and decreasing effects on the spatial differences in intergenerational health mobility across China, with varying impacts observed among the three regions. This study not only provides empirical insights into understanding the dynamics laws of intergenerational health mobility and promoting regional coordinated development in China but also offers valuable guidance for formulating healthcare policies in developing countries and for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.