During the economic boom, China’s government was mainly concerned with economic development; however, numerous environmental problems have arisen. Evidence suggests that Chinese individuals’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB) is at a low level in Asia. However, it does not match their high-quality environmental knowledge. In this paper, the database of the Chinese General Social Survey was used to explore the correlation between environmental knowledge and PEB in a broader context. Subsequently, environmental perception and post-materialistic values (PMV) were taken as the mediator and moderator into structural equation modeling, and every variable kept robust and consistent through exploratory factor analysis. The empirical results indicated that: (i) individuals with higher environmental knowledge always show higher passion to PEB; (ii) environmental perception plays a partially mediating role between environmental knowledge and PEB; (iii) PMV moderate the formation of environmental behavior systematically; and (iv) compared with public counterpart, the relation between environmental knowledge and PEB is significantly higher in private environmental behavior. The study results could become the basis for the Chinese government and environmental NGOs to effectively spread environmental knowledge, advocate a post-materialistic lifestyle, and improve the authenticity of online media reports on environmental issues.

Background: COVID-19 has influenced education systems worldwide, and significantly increased screen time for college students, posing a potential risk of myopia. In China, ninety percent of college students suffer from myopia. Excessive screen time changes college students' lifestyles, imposes potential health risks, and affects opportunities for employment. It is important to identify the potential correlation between screen time use and myopia among college students.Methods: This paper conducted a nationwide experiment using Chinese college students and set a multiple-mediator SEM model to analyze the potential correlation between screen time and myopia. The two mediators were sedentary behavior and physical activity, respectively.Results: We obtained three valuable conclusions as follows: First, there was no significant direct relationship between screen time and myopia among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, sedentary behavior and physical activity significantly predicted the increase/decrease of myopia among Chinese college students, respectively. Third, a serial multiple mediator that encompassed sedentary behavior and physical activity sequentially fully mediated the relationship between screen time and myopia.Conclusions: Although there was no directly significant relationship between screen time and myopia, screen time can indirectly influence the risk of suffering myopia by influencing sedentary behavior and physical activity. Our study demonstrates the need to prevent the potential influence of overuse of electronic devices on myopia in college students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many scholars focus on China’s booming economy and its social impacts, while there is little attention regarding subjective well-being, especially after considering income and social capital. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to examine the correlations between income, social capital and subjective well-being of western Chinese residents, basing on a representative comprehensive social survey. Several meaningful conclusions are shown below: (1) Western residents in China retain a relatively high degree of subjective well-being on average, and the mean value of subjective well-being for urban residents is slightly higher than that for rural residents; (2) there are regional and group differences in the influence of income and social capital on residents’ subjective well-being; and (3), although economic factors play a primary role in subjective well-being, the potential influence of non-economic factors cannot be ignored. This paper attempts to fill the gap in perspective regarding potential correlations between income, social capital, and subjective well-being.

Background: Obesity, characterized by excessive or abnormal fat accumulation, is a major public health concern. Air pollution is a significant potential obesogenic factor, but the clear direct and indirect correlations between air pollution and obesity remain unclear. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between air pollution and obesity by identifying both direct and indirect causal correlations.Methods: We used nationally representative data from the China Family Panel Survey. Air pollution concentrations were quantified as the mass (μg) of air pollutants per cubic meter (m³) based on nationally representative statistical data. To minimize statistical bias inherent in traditional methods, the direct relationship between air pollution and obesity was estimated using a regression discontinuity model, while the potential underlying mechanisms were explored through structural equation modeling.Results: Air pollution was generally positively associated with overweight/obesity (OROWAQI = 1.109, [95%CI = 1.027:1.305], OROBAQI = 1.032, [95%CI = 1.006:1.217], ORSOAQI = 1.069, [95%CI = 1.014:1.208], PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ positively affected overweight/obesity (OROWPM2.5 = 1.173, [95%CI = 1.094:1.252], OROBPM2.5 = 1.022, [95%CI = 1.016:1.028], ORSOPM2.5 = 1.035 [95%CI = 1.015:1.055], OROWPM10 = 1.053, [95%CI = 1.030:1.076], OROBPM10 = 1.008 [95%CI = 1.006:1.010], ORSOPM10 = 1.013 [95%CI = 1.007:1.019]), and SO₂ and CO posed negative impacts on overweight/obesity (OROWSO2 = 0.972, [95%CI = 0.965:0.979], OROBSO2 = 0.997, [95%CI = 0.996:0.998], ORSOSO2 = 0.994, [95%CI = 0.991:0.997], OROWCO = 0.986, [95%CI = 0.980:0.992], OROBCO = 0.998, [95%CI = 0.997:0.999], ORSOCO = 0.999, [95%CI = 0.998:0.999]). The impact of air pollution on overweight/obesity was more significant among men, older individuals, and rural populations compared to women, younger individuals, and urban populations. Furthermore, the relationship between air pollution and overweight/obesity was mediated by social behavior determinants, including physical activity (β = 0.18, [95%CI = 0.04:0.29]), sedentary behavior (β = 0.12, [95%CI = 0.04:0.16]), sleep (β = 0.06, [95%CI = 0.02:0.13], smoking (β = 0.07, [95%CI = 0.02:0.15]), alcohol consumption (β = 0.08, [95%CI = 0.04:0.11]), and mental health (β = 0.06, [95%CI = 0.01:0.09]).Conclusion: Air pollution was generally associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity, with PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ having a positive influence, while SO₂ and CO had a negative impact. The effect of air pollution was more pronounced among men, older individuals, and rural populations compared to women, younger individuals, and urban populations. Additionally, social behavior factors, such as physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, smoking, alcohol consumption, and mental health, predominantly mediated the relationship between air pollution and obesity.