Q2. Why did the authors use a natural logarithm transformation of the variables?
The authors used a natural logarithm transformation of the expenditures and income variables for two reasons: (1) to capture the expectation that their effects on physical limitations are nonlinear (i.e., an increase in yuan from 200 to 400 has a stronger effect than an increase from 1000 to 1200) and (2) to correct for right-skew in the distributions.
Q3. How many respondents were included in the regression analyses?
After removing these respondents and respondents with missing values on individual-level characteristics, 1,092 respondents in 64 villages (with a range of 7-24 and an average of 17 respondents in a village) were included in the regression analyses.
Q4. Who developed the survey instruments and procedures?
A team of researchers from Peking University, the University of Southern California, and Oxford University developed the survey instruments and procedures.
Q5. What are the main factors that affect the health of a community?
These scientists have concluded that it is environmental, economic, and social factors that combine to affect the health of a community or village.
Q6. What was the effect of the environmental variables on the limitations of Zhejiang villagers?
Hukou status had no effect, males reported fewer limitations, those villagers who were 60 years and older reported more limitations and those with no formal education also reported more (p < 0.001 in Gansu and p < 0.074 in Zhejiang).
Q7. What is the effect of the NCMS program on physical limitations in Zhejiang?
This suggests that, where the NCMS program had more time to be used by Zhejiang residents, physical limitations were reduced, supporting the findings of Yi, et al. (2009) and Lei and Lin (2009).
Q8. What is the effect of the NCMS on physical limitations in Zhejiang?
In this regard, the current analyses found that male respondents in Zhejiang and Gansu reported 42% and 26% fewer limitations, respectively, than female respondents (p < 0.001).
Q9. What are the effects of lack of dependable electricity?
A lack of dependable electricity can have a variety of negative effects as basic as the inability to routinely boil water and sterilize utensils.
Q10. How many days per year did the village leaders report missing electricity?
When the village leaders were asked about the number of days per year that electricity was missed, those in Gansu were more likely to report that their villages had electricity 365 days per year as compared to those in Zhejiang (73% vs 45%).
Q11. What is the effect of the environmental variables on the limitations of villagers in Gansu?
It appears that Gansu residents with higher expenditures per household member (a proxy for income) may have had fewer limitations (p < 0.08), while the variable wasnot significant for Zhejiang.
Q12. What was the effect of cost of the program on physical limitations in Zhejiang?
A second NCMS variable that may have had an effect in Zhejiang was cost of the program to individual participants (p = 0.052)—people who paid more tended to report fewer limitations.
Q13. What are the variables that were used to describe the characteristics of the NCMS?
These latter variables included the three environmental variables (the number of days per year the village has electricity, the number of households in the village using coal, and whether a sewage system exists in the village), two economic variables (the village’s per capita income and the average unit price for electricity in the village), two social variables (whether a health organization was located in the village and the number of programs for older adults), and the three variables measuring characteristics of the NCMS within the village.
Q14. What other factors appear to have been important only in Zhejiang?
Four additional factors appear to have been important only in Zhejiang: 1) the use of coal by at least one household in the village (p < 0.001); 2) average unit price for electricity (p < 0.05); 3) the length of time the NCMS had been available in the village (p = 0.072); and 4) villager’s pay to participate in the NCMS (p = 0.052).
Q15. What is the effect of the NCMS on the number of limitations in the village?
In Zhejiang villages, where the NCMS had been operating for only 3 or fewer years as compared to more than three years, physical limitations may have been higher (p < 0.072).