Measurement on Health Capital of Workforce: Evidence from China

Tao Bu (), Rui Ma (), Yueheng Wang (), Xinyuan Wang (), Daisheng Tang () and Liyuan Deng ()
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Tao Bu: Beijing Normal University
Rui Ma: Human Resources Development Center of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development
Yueheng Wang: University of Notre Dame
Xinyuan Wang: Beijing Jiaotong University
Daisheng Tang: Beijing Jiaotong University
Liyuan Deng: Chengdu University of Technology

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2024, vol. 174, issue 2, No 6, 569-587

Abstract: Abstract China faces serious health problem and health inequality, it needs to be noticed that knowing the distribution and shortage of health capital is necessary to provide targeted strategies for investing health. However, currently existed generic measuring instruments for health capital were developed in Western countries or decades ago, there lacks suitable measuring items that adapt to Chinese contemporary socio-culture and economy, as well as the characteristics of workforce. This study aims to develop one measuring instrument of health capital to adapt China’s special social-culture and economic status, as well as the characteristics of workforce. We develop a set of multi-dimensional measuring scale of health capital and collect the qualitative data through semi-structured interviews conducted in-person or online platform, we get 200 valid samples through the first round of trial survey, and 1795 valid samples from the second round of formal survey. By using reliability and validity test and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis check, we get 21 items with four factor structures, named by physical, mental, social adaptation and moral health, to form the measuring instrument of health capital. Health capital index of workforce in China is 66.04, and the highest sub-index is moral health (85.43), followed by physical health (61.14), social adaptation (52.31) and mental health (33.20). Further analysis show that eastern China and the marginal areas in city agglomeration get better health capital index. The health capital index of Chinese workforce located in the range of “medium”, and the sub-themes of mental health and social adaptation get a poor performance. These findings indicated that strengthening the mental health and social adaptation is the key way to decline the regional gap of health capital in the future. Target policy of providing healthcare facilities of mental health and continue skill training system is necessary to improve workforce’ health capital.

Keywords: Health capital; Workforce; China; Regional difference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-024-03403-x

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