Household durable goods and child health in China.

This article examines the impact of owning time-saving household appliances—specifically washing machines and refrigerators—on children's health in China, using micro-level data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The study finds that appliance ownership reduces children's time spent on household work by about 56 minutes per week and increases the probability of being overweight by approximately 9.7 percentage points among children aged 5–18 years, with stronger effects observed in males and older children. An instrumental variable approach, using community ownership rates among households without children, addresses potential endogeneity in appliance ownership. The findings suggest that while time-saving appliances may improve educational and labor outcomes, they also contribute to decreased physical activity and changes in dietary consumption that elevate overweight risks, highlighting a complex trade-off in child health outcomes amid economic development in China.