Kyushu University · Social Sciences
Professor Chao Li's research lab focuses on interdisciplinary environmental and social science research, with a strong emphasis on the impacts of environmental factors—such as air pollution, urbanization, and land use—on human health and well-being. The lab investigates the complex relationships between environmental exposures (e.g., PM₂.₅, urban greenery) and physical and mental health outcomes, particularly in children and urban populations. It also explores the socio-economic and policy dimensions of environmental health, including income effects on mental health and the role of urban planning in promoting well-being. The lab employs advanced statistical and spatial modeling techniques to analyze large-scale, nationally representative datasets and environmental data.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Evidence suggests that excessive screen time in early childhood is related to children's physical and mental health. This study aimed to review the relationships between screen media use and several health indicators in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. A systematic search was conducted by two independent reviewers on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify the eligible studies, with an end date of 13 August 2019. Included studies (published in English) were peer-revi
It is generally agreed that early diversification of animals and significant rise of atmospheric and oceanic oxygen (O2) levels occurred in the Ediacaran (635-541 million years ago, Ma) and early Cambrian (ca. 541-509 Ma). The strength and nature of their relationship, however, remain unclear and debated. A recent wave of paleoredox research - with a particular focus on the fossiliferous sections in South China - demonstrates high spatial heterogeneity of oceanic O2 (redox) conditions and dynami
Fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) mainly originates from combustion emissions. On-road transportation is considered one of the primary sources of PM<sub>2.5</sub> emission. The relationship between on-road transportation and PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration varies temporally and spatially, and the estimation for this variation is important for policymaking. Here, we reveal the quantitative association of PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration with on-road transportation by the spatial panel Durbi
This paper uses a large-scale nationally representative dataset to examine the nonlinear effect of income on mental health. To investigate their causal relationship, the exogenous impact of automation on income is utilized as the instrument variable (IV). In addition, to explore their nonlinear relationship, both income and its quadratic term are included in regressions. It is found that the impact of income on mental health is U-shaped rather than linear. The turning point (7.698) of this nonli
This paper uses a large-scale nationally representative dataset, the Chinese General Social Survey, to examine the relationship between subjective well-being and depressive disorders. Statistical results indicate that higher levels of subjective well-being help decrease perceived depression. Robustness checks are carried out using different types of explanatory and dependent variables, various regression models, penalized machine learning methods, instrumental variable approaches, and placebo te
People migrate from rural to urban areas. In the meantime, the benefits of staying in greener areas are also known. People's preferences might be different by area that is composed of several land types. If so, the effect of particular land cover on human well-being is different spatially. The spatial analysis is required to formulate effective land-use policies. Here we show that urban land, water, and grassland are positively related to human well-being, whereas bare land is negatively associa
This paper uses a nationally representative and large-scale dataset from China to empirically examine the relationship between exercise participation and happiness. To address the problem of reverse causality between the two factors, the instrumental variable (IV) approach is used to deal with endogeneity to some extent. It is demonstrated that higher frequencies of exercise participation are positively related to happiness. Findings also demonstrate that physical exercise could significantly de
Natural features in living environments can help to reduce stress and improve mental health. Different land types have disproportionate impacts on mental health. However, the relationships between mental health and land cover are inconclusive. In this study, we aim to accurately fit the relationships, estimate the impacts of land cover change on mental health, and demonstrate the global spatial variability of impacts. In the analysis, we show the complex relationships between mental health and e
Open papers in the app to read, cite, and organize with AI.