Ensuring an adequate and safe access to sanitation is essential to prevent diseases. Using provincial spatial panel data reported in the China Health Statistical Yearbook and the China Statistical Yearbook, this paper analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of improved rural sanitation in 30 Chinese provinces during the period 2006⁻2015, and analyzed factors that may affect improved sanitation rates in rural China. Spatial autocorrelations of improved sanitation rates were computed via Global and Local Moran's I firstly, and then, inter-provincial disparities of improved sanitation were assessed by using the Theil index estimator; finally, the spatial panel model was employed to examine the potential socio-economic factors. Spatial autocorrelations results suggested that the provincial improved sanitation rates changes affect both the provinces themselves and the adjacent regions; Analysis of the spatial panel model revealed that factors such as GDP per capita, investment proportion ratio, centralized water supply, rural residents' expenditure were positively associated with improved sanitation rates, and illiteracy rate of people older than 15 was negatively related with improved sanitation rates. Socio-economic factors had affected the improved sanitation rates in 30 provinces in rural China. Thus, a series of policies, socio-economic measures and personal latrine literacy education should be given to improve the status of improved sanitation rates in rural China.
Keywords: rural China; sanitation; spatial analysis; spatial panel model.