Fernando Lera-López1, Pamela Wicker2, Paul Downward3. 1. Department of Economics, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona 31006, Spain. 2. Department of Sport Economics and Sport Management, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne 50933, Germany. 3. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine if government spending is associated with an individual's decision to participate in physical activity and sport which is regarded as healthy behavior given the positive health effects documented in previous research. METHODS: Individual-level data (n = 25 243) containing socio-demographic information are combined with national-level data on government spending (5-year average) in 27 European countries. Given the hierarchical data structure, i.e. individuals are nested within countries; multi-level analyses are applied. RESULTS: The multi-level models show that it is mainly education spending that has a significant positive association with participation in sport of various regularities. Health spending has some association with participation in other physical activity and sport of a lower regularity. CONCLUSIONS: While health spending can be considered a relevant policy tool for increasing sport participation rates, education spending is required more since the effects are larger and it affects both physical activity and sport. This suggests that health spending will have most effect combined with earlier influences from education spending.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine if government spending is associated with an individual's decision to participate in physical activity and sport which is regarded as healthy behavior given the positive health effects documented in previous research. METHODS: Individual-level data (n = 25 243) containing socio-demographic information are combined with national-level data on government spending (5-year average) in 27 European countries. Given the hierarchical data structure, i.e. individuals are nested within countries; multi-level analyses are applied. RESULTS: The multi-level models show that it is mainly education spending that has a significant positive association with participation in sport of various regularities. Health spending has some association with participation in other physical activity and sport of a lower regularity. CONCLUSIONS: While health spending can be considered a relevant policy tool for increasing sport participation rates, education spending is required more since the effects are larger and it affects both physical activity and sport. This suggests that health spending will have most effect combined with earlier influences from education spending.
Authors: Virpi Kuvaja-Köllner; Eila Kankaanpää; Johanna Laine; Katja Borodulin; Tomi Mäki-Opas; Hannu Valtonen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2022-06-18 Impact factor: 4.135