Does Regular Physical Activity Improve Personal Income? Empirical Evidence from China

Abstract

A lack of adequate exercise threatens human health, weakening human capital accumulation. The relationship between exercise and income has become the focus of attention in health economics. In terms of reducing body weight and improving physical fitness, diet and physical exercise are intertwined and become effective ways to shape a healthy state. Based on individual-level survey data from China, this study quantified the economic returns of habitual exercise behavior by using an endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) to eliminate selection bias. The study shows that (1) participants in the group with regular exercise behavior increased their income by 3.79% compared with those not exercising regularly; (2) for the group with no regular exercise behavior, regular exercise increased their income by 13.36% compared with those not exercising regularly. Additionally, empirical evidence shows that both drinking and smoking can significantly increase individual income, despite unhealthy habits. These results suggest that the habit of regular physical activity plays a vital role in increasing individual income and improving overall national health, and the effect of individual behavior on income is affected by national culture. The outcomes are empirical evidence for the Chinese government to promote Healthy China Action and support developing countries worldwide to enable habitual exercise, stimulating a policy of exercise behavior.

Impacts of alcohol consumption on farmers’ mental health: Insights from rural China

“…This study explores the impact of alcohol consumption on farmers' mental health, particularly given farmers' decision to drink or not is a self-selection problem rather than a random one [ 58 ]. Ma and Abdulai [ 59 ], Dhakal et al [ 60 ], and Jena et al [ 61 ] have illustrated that failure to account for selection bias when evaluating behavioral outcomes may result in erroneous estimates.…”

“…Essentially, accurately estimating the impact of alcohol consumption on farmers' mental health is unattainable without accounting for farmers' voluntary choice in drinking behavior. Moreover, studies by Shahzad and Abdulai [ 62 ] and Xiao et al [ 58 ] suggest that selection bias may stem from both observable and unobservable factors, including farmers' personal preferences, personality traits, social environment, and other variables. These selection outcomes and unobservable variables may introduce bias issues, and failure to address this selection bias could result in inconsistent estimated results [ 63 ].…”

Correlation analysis of exercise volume and musculoskeletal disorders in people with income level differences: Research based on the 2011–2018 NHANES dataset

“…Although most of the comparative studies have involved adolescents, the relationship between exercise and income likely transcends across the whole of society. For instance, the income level of people who partake in regular physical activity has been shown to be 13.36% higher than that of people who do not exercise regularly [6]. Therefore, the correlation between income level and exercise was one of the themes being explored in this study.…”

The welfare effects of impoverished rural areas: Review and research prospects

“…This plan coordinates environmental and agricultural policies, addresses inefficient rural land use, guarantees land transfer rights to poor rural households, and fully involves low-income rural families in the transaction process. Livelihood compensation measures through local governments include industrial support, multi-product co-development through contract farming, the market circulation of agricultural products, commercialization of agricultural products, market benefits of globalization and marketization, and increased incomes in rural areas [ 43 ].…”