Sports facilities as substitutes for exercise-induced well-being: Evidence from four-wave CFPS panel data

Yang Wang and Liman Wang

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Background: The relationship between sports participation and psychological well-being is well-documented, yet empirical evidence regarding the moderating role of community sports facilities remains inconclusive. This study tests whether facilities amplify or attenuate the well-being returns to exercise, using four-wave panel data from China (CFPS 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022). Methods: Linear regression models with individual fixed effects were constructed using China Family Panel Studies data (CFPS 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2022; the 2016 wave was excluded because its happiness item reached only 2.5% of adults). The analytical sample comprised 71,326 observations from 23,818 individuals. Self-rated happiness (0−10 scale) was regressed on binary exercise participation, community sports facility count (0−5+), and their interaction, controlling for age and log household income. Robustness was tested via instrumental variable estimation (community mean exercise rate) and propensity score matching. Results: Exercise positively predicted happiness (β = +0.074, p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0359511

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0359511

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