Wenxin Wang 1, Issam Khelfaoui 1,2, Danish Ahmed 3,4,5,6,7, Yuantao Xie 8, Muhammad Hafeez 9,10, Hicham Meskher 11
Author Details：
1. School of Public Health, Shantou University/Institute of Local Government Development, Shantou University, Shan-Tou 515063, China 2. Department of Operational Research, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediane, China 3. School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China 4. School of Foreign Language, Shanghai Jianqiao University, Shanghai 201315, China 5. Department of Business Administration, HANDS—Institute of Development Studies (HANDS-IDS), Karachi 75230, Pakistan 6. Center for Islamic Finance, University of Bolton, Bolton BL3 5AB, UK 7. International Institute on Governance and Strategy (IIGS), Beijing 100000, China 8. School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China 9. Institute of Business and Management Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 10. Chadli Bendjedid El Tarf University, Eltarf, Algeria 11. Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Abstract
Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure is inevitable for a higher standard of living for the people of any country. At least, this has been the case for developed countries. This study investigates the link between information and communication technologies (ICT) and life expectancy at birth (LEB) among low-income countries. We use panel data of low-income countries from 2000 to 2017 from the comprehensive World Bank dataset. Our analysis strategy includes employing Driskol and Kraay methodology and feasible generalized least squares to tackle cross-sectional dependence. Furthermore, we also employ the instrumental variable technique to deal with the endogeneity problem. We found that a rise in mobile internet use and Mobile Cellular Subscriptions led to improved LEB among low-income countries. On the contrary, the rise in fixed telephone subscriptions had a negative empirical effect on reducing LEB-however, the magnitude of the effect ranged between 0% and 4%.
对于任何国家的人民来说，获得最先进的基础设施是不可避免的，以提高生活水平。至少发达国家的情况是这样。本研究调查了低收入国家的信息和通信技术（ICT）与出生时预期寿命（LEB）之间的联系。我们使用2000年至2017年来自世界银行综合数据集的低收入国家的面板数据。我们的分析策略包括采用 Driskol 和 Kraay 方法以及可行的广义最小二乘法来解决横截面依赖性问题。此外，我们还采用工具变量技术来处理内生性问题。我们发现，移动互联网使用和移动蜂窝订阅的增加导致低收入国家的LEB有所改善。相反，固定电话用户的增加对降低LEB有负面的经验影响，但影响的幅度在0%到4%之间。
注：本成果获得汕头大学地方政府发展研究所2019和2021年度开放基金课题（No. 07419005、No. 07421005）的资助。
Cite this article:
Wang W, Khelfaoui I, Ahmed D, Xie Y, Hafeez M, Meskher H. Nexus between information and communication technologies and life expectancies of low-income countries: Does technological advancement increase their life span?. SSM Popul Health. 2024;25:101600. Published 2024 Jan 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101600
