The impact of health in all policies on urban innovation: a mediation analysis of human capital accumulation using panel data from 271 cities in China

Introduction This study investigates the impact of Health in All Policies (HiAP) on urban innovation within the context of China. Building on migration theory, innovation ecosystem theory, and the country's institutional context, we identify human capital accumulation as a key mediating factor. Methods Using a panel dataset of 271 cities from 2013 to 2021, we use the two-way fixed effects regressions, the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, and the stepwise regression analysis method. Results We find that HiAP significantly enhances urban innovation with the magnitude of its effect varying across city size, administrative level and geographic region. Furthermore, human capital accumulation mediates the relationship between HiAP and innovation outcomes. Discussion These results underscore the importance of HiAP in promoting innovation through human capital development and offer practical policy implications for advancing sustainable urban development.