Page 221 - GHES-3-2

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Health behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic

Appendix

Table A1. Definitions and assignments of variables

Variable name Definition Assignment
Dependent variables
Personal protective equipment Stocking up face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant during the 3 days after No=0, Yes=1
Wuhan was closed due to the pandemic (from January 24 to January 26).
Daily expenditure coverage Degree of difficulty in covering daily expenses with household income. Difficult=0, Easy=1
Independent variables
Medical expenditure Direct and indirect medical expenses with the latter referring to transportation 0 Yuan=0, >0 Yuan=1
expenses, nutrition expenses, family expenses, etc., incurred due to medical
treatment. Payments in part with Medicare are excluded.
Fitness expenditure Fitness expenditures, including fitness exercise, fitness equipment, and health 0 Yuan=0, >0 Yuan=1
supplements.
Covariates
Age Actual date of birth according to the solar calendar <=61 years=0, >61 years=1
Gender Biological sex Male=0, Female=1
Government COVID subsidy Government COVID subsidy for household members and household No=0, Yes=1
Building structure Type of housing structure Concrete and steel/bricks and
wood=1, Others=0
Activities in past month Having done any listed activities in the past month (e.g., interacted with friends; None=0, At least done one
played mahjong, chess cards or went to community club; provided help to family, activity=1
friends, and neighbors; went to a sport, social, or other kinds of club; took part in
a community-related organization; done charity work; attended an educational/
training course) (multiple choices allowed).
Mask wearing Masking during the pandemic Never=0, Always/Sometimes=1
Awareness Being aware of any of the listed practices to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection None=0, At least aware of one
(multiple choices allowed). practice=1
Number of chronic diseases Number of chronic diseases that have been diagnosed by a doctor: hypertension, 0=0, 1 – 4=1, ≥5=2
dyslipidemia, diabetes or high blood sugar, cancer or malignant tumor, chronic
lung diseases, liver disease, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, stomach or other
digestive diseases, emotional, nervous, or psychiatric problems, memory-related
disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis or rheumatism, and asthma (multiple choices
allowed).
Poor household subsidy Whether household or household members received Wubao, Dibao, Tekun, or poor None=0, At least received of
household subsidies (multiple choices allowed). one type of subsidy=1
Notes: Wubao: Five Guarantee Program; Dibao: Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme; Tekun: Assistance for the Extremely Poor Households.

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 213 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.6619