The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children

Jan Marcus, Thomas Siedler () and Nicolas Ziebarth ()
Additional contact information
Thomas Siedler: University of Potsdam

No 14246, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Starting in 2009, the German state of Saxony distributed sports club membership vouchers among all 33,000 third graders in the state. The policy's objective was to encourage them to develop a long-term habit of exercising. In 2018, we carried out a large register-based survey among several cohorts in Saxony and two neighboring states. Our difference-indifferences estimations show that, even after a decade, awareness of the voucher program was significantly higher in the treatment group. We also find that youth received and redeemed the vouchers. However, we do not find significant short- or long-term effects on sports club membership, physical activity, overweightness, or motor skills.

Keywords: school health examinations; objective health measures; habit formation; obesity; primary school; voucher; physical activity; windfall gains; crowd-out; taxpayer subsidies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H71 I12 I14 I18 I28 I38 Z28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 67 pages
Date: 2021-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-spo and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published - published in: American Economic Journal: Economic Policy , 2022, 14 (3), 128-165

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children (2022)
Working Paper: The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children (2021)
Working Paper: The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children (2021)
Working Paper: The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children (2021)
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