Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42754845›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2026

Can the use of clean energy improve the cognitive ability of the rural elderly? Evidence from clean heating policy in northern China.

Mingcong Chen, Qingshan Ma, Qiqi Sun

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Mingcong Chen *School of Economics and Statistics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
Qingshan Ma *Research Institute for Eco-Civilization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China. Qingshanma199543@outlook.com.
Qiqi Sun *Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China. gigisun8776@163.com.

Funding

National Social Science Fund of China 21BTJ037
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The clean transformation of traditional energy sources is of great significance for the formation and development of human capital in rural areas. We use 5-wave survey from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) between 2011 and 2020, and based on the quasi-experiment of the "winter clean heating" policy in northern regions implemented by the Chinese government, construct a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model to estimate the impact of large-scale clean energy use in northern rural China on cognitive impairment among the elderly. We find that the clean heating policy improved the average cognitive ability of the elderly in rural northern China by 3.3%. This policy has a positive impact on the cognitive ability of the elderly by increasing the likelihood of clean energy use in rural households and improving local air quality. Heterogeneity studies find that the "winter clean heating" policy has a more pronounced effect on elderly women with less education levels and those living with their children. Our study provides empirical evidence for the formulation of energy transition and clean heating policies in developing countries.

Indexed as

CognitionHeatingRural PopulationAgedChinaFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleClean heating policiesCognitive abilityEnergy transitionRural elderly people

Identifiers

PMID42754845
PMCPMC13587523

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.