Table 1 Descriptive statistics for urban and rural populations (mean/standard deviation)

Health variables

SAH

Dummy variable: 1, excellent and good health; 0 otherwise

0.593

0.491

0.594

0.491

Physical Limitation

Dummy variable: 1, having limitation coded as 1. 0 otherwise

0.072

0.259

0.081

0.272

Demographic variables

Female 18-24

Dummy variable: 1, female aged between 18–24; 0 otherwise.

0.026

0.160

0.020

0.141

Female 25-34

Dummy variable: 1, female aged between 25–34; 0 otherwise.

0.076

0.265

0.065

0.246

Female 35-44

Dummy variable: 1 female aged between 35–44; 0 otherwise.

0.136

0.342

0.127

0.333

Female 45-54

Dummy variable: 1 female aged between 45–54; 0 otherwise.

0.130

0.336

0.123

0.329

Female 55-64

Dummy variable: 1 female aged between 55–64; 0 otherwise.

0.101

0.301

0.093

0.290

Female 65+

Dummy variable: 1 female aged above 65; 0 otherwise.

0.076

0.264

0.136

0.342

Male 18-24*

Dummy variable: 1 male aged between 18–24; 0 otherwise.

0.031

0.174

0.028

0.164

Male 25-34

Dummy variable: 1 male aged between 25–34; 0 otherwise.

0.079

0.269

0.052

0.222

Male 35-44

Dummy variable: 1 male aged between 35–44; 0 otherwise.

0.136

0.343

0.120

0.325

Male 45-54

Dummy variable: 1 male aged between 45–54; 0 otherwise.

0.127

0.333

0.123

0.328

Male 55-64

Dummy variable: 1 male aged between 55–64; 0 otherwise.

0.108

0.310

0.093

0.290

Male 65+

Dummy variable: 1 male aged 65 and above; 0 otherwise.

0.067

0.249

0.108

0.310

Socioeconomic variables

Marital status

Dummy variable: 1 married, 0 otherwise

0.856

0.351

0.808

0.394

Job status

Dummy variable: 1 having a job, 0 otherwise

0.687

0.464

0.465

0.499

Income

Gross annual household income inflated to 2009

31,115

44,736

32,089

39,130

No education

Dummy variable: 1 no education; 0 otherwise

0.273

0.446

0.157

0.364

Pri and Sec education

Dummy variable: 1 primary and secondary education; 0 otherwise

0.554

0.497

0.371

0.483

High school education

Dummy variable: 1 high school and technical school education; 0 otherwise

0.151

0.358

0.342

0.474

University education and above*

Dummy variable: 1 university education and above; 0 otherwise

0.022

0.145

0.130

0.336

Province Liaoning

Dummy variable: 1 Liaoning, 0 otherwise

0.113

0.316

0.091

0.288

Province Heilongjiang

Dummy variable: 1 Heilongjiang, 0 otherwise

0.099

0.299

0.107

0.310

Province Jiangsu

Dummy variable: 1 Jiangsu, 0 otherwise

0.118

0.323

0.117

0.321

Province Shandong

Dummy variable: 1 Shandong, 0 otherwise

0.106

0.308

0.112

0.316

Province Henan

Dummy variable: 1 Henan, 0 otherwise

0.116

0.320

0.114

0.318

Province Hubei

Dummy variable: 1 Hubei, 0 otherwise

0.095

0.293

0.106

0.308

Province Hunan

Dummy variable: 1 Hunan, 0 otherwise

0.107

0.309

0.132

0.339

Province Guangxi

Dummy variable: 1 Guangxi, 0 otherwise

0.132

0.338

0.107

0.310

Province Guizhou*

Dummy variable: 1 Guizhou, 0 otherwise

0.115

0.319

0.112

0.316