Does sport make you happy? An analysis of the well-being derived from sports participation

Paul Downward and Simona Rasciute ()

International Review of Applied Economics, 2011, vol. 25, issue 3, 331-348

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of sports participation upon the subjective well-being of individuals. Encouraging participation in sports activity is now an important public policy issue, as it is argued that there are benefits in terms of health and well-being to individuals as well as to society through externalities. Controlling for personal and socio-demographic characteristics affecting well-being, this paper examines if participation in, and the frequency and duration of, 67 sports activities affects well-being. The form in which sports participation takes place is also investigated by examining if social-interaction sports produce more well-being. This paper demonstrates that sports participation has a positive affect upon the subjective well-being of the population and, moreover, estimates its monetary value. The effects are larger if one allows for social interactions.

Keywords: ordered choice model; heterogeneous thresholds; happiness; sports; willingness to pay measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (49)

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DOI: 10.1080/02692171.2010.511168

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