AUTHOR=Jing Shubao , Zhang Rongzhe , Du Chan , Liu Yuting , Qing Yikun , Chen Liang , He Min , Peng Wei , Ye Jiling 

TITLE=Can advancing environmental justice safeguard older adults' health? — Evidence from China's establishment of environmental courts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1599907

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1599907

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=IntroductionAmidst global population aging, enhancing the health and well-being of older adults has become a critical concern. The role of environmental justice in influencing older adults' health, however, remains underexplored.MethodsUtilizing five waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) between 2011 and 2020, this study examines the impact of environmental courts on older adults' health using a multi-period Diference-in-Diferences (DID) model.ResultsResults show that environmental tribunals significantly improved older adults' health, with more pronounced benefits for individuals in cities along the Yangtze and Yellow River Basins, those with lower educational attainment, and residents of non-resource-based cities. Mechanism analyses indicate that stricter enforcement of environmental penalties, improved water quality, and reduced air pollution are key pathways driving these improvements.DiscussionPolicy recommendations include expanding the establishment of environmental courts nationwide, implementing targeted and region-specific policies, increasing public awareness about environmental courts, and enhancing mechanisms for policy evaluation and feedback. These measures aim to foster a synergistic relationship between environmental governance and public health improvement.