The economic benefits of a more physically active population: An international analysis

Abstract

This report examines the potential economic benefits of physical activity. Specifically, it looks at the potential gains in economic output and healthcare expenditure savings under different physical activity improvement scenarios at the population level. This study contributes to the existing literature in three ways. First, we synthesise and evaluate, in a systematic manner, the existing empirical evidence on the association between physical activity and mortality risk, using a meta-analytical approach to adjust for study heterogeneity and potential publication bias in the literature. Second, using large-scale, international workplace survey data, we quantify the associations between physical activity and workplace performance, with a specific focus on levels of sickness absence and levels of presenteeism. Finally, we examine the macroeconomic effects of reduced premature mortality and reductions in sickness absence and presenteeism associated with making the population of a country more physically active. The report will be of interest to policymakers in the fields of public health and at the same time to a much broader spectrum of readers, including private sector agents, in particular in the health and life insurance domains. The Vitality Group, part of Discovery Ltd, commissioned RAND Europe to carry out this research project. RAND Europe had full editorial control and independence of the analyses performed and presented in this report. This work informs the public good and should not be taken as a commercial endorsement. RAND Europe is an independent, not-for-profit policy research organisation that aims to improve policy-and decision making in the public interest through research and analysis. This report has been peer-reviewed in accordance with RAND's quality assurance standards. For more information about RAND Europe or this document, please contact Marco Hafner

Estimating the global economic benefits of physically active populations over 30 years (2020–2050)

“…It summarises the estimated associations across both gender and survey regions for different levels of physical activity, controlling for socioeconomic, work-related, health and lifestyle factors. Additional results differentiated by gender, age and region are reported in Hafner et al 15 (No statistically significant differences in the parameter estimates for the association between physical activity and productivity were found by (a) gender, (b) age (c) or by region of the survey sample (eg, UK vs Asia)). The descriptive statistics for all variables used in the analysis are presented in online supplemental table 5.…”

“…Full details are available in a free-access technical report that we have recently published. 15 Throughout this study, physical activity is measured using minutes of metabolic equivalents of task on December 6, 2020 by guest. Protected by copyright.…”

“…The countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, HongKong, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines,Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam; all other countries are combined into 'rest of the world') were chosen based on data availability and representativeness of the world as a whole. Additional scenarios are available in Hafner et al 15 The implications of improved physical activity are reflected by an increase in the effective labour supply through a combination of two elements: (1) improved physical activity increases the size of the labour force through a lower mortality risk and (2) improved physical activity raises worker productivity levels by reducing sickness absence and presenteeism.…”

“…Original research vs occupational), publication year, country or region, sample size, cohort size, age range of study cohort (eg, whole population vs elderly only) and whether the underlying estimates are unadjusted or adjusted for age, gender, income, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index, chronic health conditions. Further information about that analytical process is provided in Hafner et al 15 Linking physical activity with productivity at work…”

“…Links between physical activity and productivity at work are assumed to manifest through sickness absence and presenteeism, generally defined as showing up for work when one is ill. 29 We 15 Stepanek et al 30 and Hafner et al 31 We analyse the data using a set of multivariable generalised linear regression models (GLMs) with Gaussian distribution and identity link. Technical details of the model specifications are provided in Hafner et al 15 Physical activity is measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) 32 and transformed into MET-minutes per week according to the IPAQ guidelines, that is, with moderate activity equivalent to four METs and vigorous activity equivalent to eight METs. Absence and presenteeism are measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire 33 with a 7-day recall period.…”