Evidence on the Efficacy of School-Based Incentives for Healthy Living

Harold Cuffe, William Harbaugh (), Jason Lindo, Giancarlo Musto and Glenn R. Waddell
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Giancarlo Musto: GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Glenn R. Waddell: University of Oregon [Eugene]

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Abstract: We analyze the effects of a school-based incentive program on children's exercise habits. The program offers children an opportunity to win prizes if they walk or bike to school during prize periods. We use daily child-level data and individual fixed effects models to measure the impact of the prizes by comparing behavior during prize periods with behavior during non-prize periods. Variation in the timing of prize periods across different schools allows us to estimate models with calendardate fixed effects to control for day-specific attributes, such as weather and proximity to holidays. On average, we find that being in a prize period increases riding behavior by sixteen percent, a large impact given that the prize value is just six cents per participating student. We also find that winning a prize lottery has a positive impact on ridership over subsequent weeks; consider heterogeneity across prize type, gender, age, and calendar month; and explore differential effects on the intensive versus extensive margins.

Keywords: health; exercise; children; school; incentives; active commuting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-12-23
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-his
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00654850v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Evidence on the efficacy of school-based incentives for healthy living (2012)
Working Paper: Evidence on the Efficacy of School-Based Incentives for Healthy Living (2012)
Working Paper: Evidence on the Efficacy of School-Based Incentives for Healthy Living (2011)
Working Paper: Evidence on the Efficacy of School-Based Incentives for Healthy Living (2011)
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