Abstract: Time banking is a way to engage the public with social affairs. At present, time banking functions as an initiative in fostering mutual support for the aged people in China. This paper aims to review the current literatures and analyze the evidence related to the impacts of public participation in time banking on health outcomes, therefore provide evidence and theoretical supports for the localization of time banking in China. This will also assist us to make precise positioning and utilization of the concept in the context of "Big Health" policies.

Key words: time banking; participation; service exchange; social capital; health