The demand for improving health status of Chinese residents is growing with the rapid economic development. Happiness, which could be improved by some brief, self-administered, and cost-effective interventions, is reported to be associated with mortality, longevity, and self-rated health. Therefore, it is essential to assess the effect of happiness on health in China. Using data from the Chinese General Social Survey 2017, the present study explored the effect of happiness on health among Chinese residents after controlling for demographic variables, socioeconomic factors, social relationships, locations, and insurance plan. The happiness effect across subsamples by age and resident type and the mediator role of happiness were also evaluated. Based on an ordered probit regression model, we found that the effect of happiness on health was significantly positive in full sample and all subsamples. Using a structural equation model, we demonstrated that happiness could partially mediate the relationship between socioeconomic factors, social relationships factors, and health. Our data supplement the existing literature on the relationship between happiness and health and provide evidence for policymakers and stakeholders focusing on happiness as a health strategy to improve overall societal wellbeing.

In order to restore degraded grasslands, the Chinese central government initiated the Prohibited Grazing Policy (PGP) in areas of severe grassland degradation and ecologically fragile regions which is an important payment for ecosystem services (PES) program. Since the initiation of this policy in the early 2000s, the PGP has significantly influenced participants’ lives. Therefore, in order for the policy to be successful, it is necessary to understand what determines participants’ satisfaction in the policy. This paper presents an analysis of survey data from Yanchi County using ordered probit regression models to explore the factors influencing PGP satisfaction and life satisfaction. The empirical results suggest that farmers’ policy perception, environmental perception, and livelihood strategies of raising sheep had significant effects on PGP satisfaction. Additionally, PGP satisfaction, marital status, environmental satisfaction, self-reported influence of the PGP on income, self-reported income level, and self-reported income and expenditure had significantly positive effects on overall life satisfaction. These results are important for promoting better implementation of such programs as well as enhancing social stability and sustainable development in these regions.

Using qualitative research methods and mathematical statistical analysis, taking Shigatse city in Tibet as a case study area, and based on the affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) model and cultural distance theory, we explore the Tibetan people’s cultural adaptive types, differences, and its influencing factors. The results show that there are seven Tibetans’ cultural adaptive kinds: Integration, assimilation, isolation, marginalization, tending to Tibetan modern culture, adaptation to Tibetan traditional culture, and unclassified cultural adaptive style. The Tibetans’ cultural adaptive tendency mainly integrates between modern and traditional parts in the contemporary Tibetan local cultures. Meanwhile, the Tibetan folk still has a large proportion of modifying to traditional culture. Moreover, the Tibetans’ cultural adjusted differences in the affective and cognitive dimensions are smaller than the acculturate features in the behavioral side. However, the cultural adjusted distinctions in the affective and cognitive aspects compared to that in the behavioral field are more complex. Moreover, there are direct and mediating effects that impact the Tibetan folks’ cultural adaptability. Studying Tibetan people’s cultural adaptation may be conducive to understanding the evolution of Tibetan locality’s meaning and the mutual game between the two different parts in local culture as well as comprehending the Tibetan folks’ real cultural appeal. The conclusions have important practical significance of the harmony, stability, unity, progress, and information in China ethnic areas’ economy, society, and culture.

Since the launch of a prohibited grazing policy (PGP) in 2002, the ecological environment in North China has improved markedly. The aims of PGP are to improve the ecological environment without reducing farmers’ well-being in rural areas. Hence, after the implementation of the policy for more than 16 years, the effect of this policy on farmers’ subjective well-being (SWB) has become a question that needs to be studied. In this paper, the survey data in Yanchi County was used to explore the relationship between the perception of the policy and farmers’ SWB using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results showed that there was a full mediation effect in the relationship between the perception of the PGP and farmers’ SWB through economic status, neuroticism, and extraversion. However, the mediation effect through the perception of the ecological environment was not significant. These findings suggest that it is important to continue to implement this policy.

Cultural transformation is ubiquitous, and the interaction between traditional local culture and modern local culture can achieve the mutual shaping, reorganization and renewal culture through adaptation or repercussions. This study addresses cultural transformation in terms of its change, cognition and adaptation. The study reaches the following conclusions. First, the perspective of cultural change reveals the changes of physical culture, institutional culture, behavioral culture and mental culture. Second, cultural cognition of local culture can be expressed through cultural cognitive changes from the perspectives of daily life, preservation of traditions, modern festivals, social interactions and religious beliefs. Third, in the dimension of cultural adaptation, changing local cultures reflect adaptations and differences in affection, behavior, and cognition. In addition, the transformation of local culture has theoretical and practical significance in culture sustainable development, such as culture protection, inheritance and development.

Marriage is one of the closest and longest relationships in people’s lives. However, not everyone finds happiness in a marital relationship. In recent years, the rapid development of the social economy and the rapid transformation of the social structure have impacted on the traditional marriage relationship in China. The stability of the modern family structure has encountered severe challenges and the divorce rate has increased year by year. This makes research into the factors that influence marital satisfaction an important topic. We used data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2017 to construct a structural equation model to study the influences of spouse doing housework (SDH), family decision-making (FDM) and physical and mental health (PMH) on Chinese family marital satisfaction (MS). Our results show that SDH has a positive effect on MS, FDM has a negative effect on MS, and PMH has a positive effect on MS. SDH and FDM affect MS in combination, as do SDH and PMH. PMH has the greatest impact on MS, followed by SDH, and FDM has the weakest relative impact on MS. This research has important practical significance for society and suggests ways in which a “harmonious family” could be promoted by motivating society to promote and support a good family style, and so to improve MS for married couples.