The Impact of Smart City Construction on Residents' Physical Exercise Behavior: An Empirical Analysis Based on CFPS Data

Abstract

Background Smart city construction, as a new model of urban development, has become a crucial means to encourage residents' participation in physical exercise. However, there is still a lack of empirical studies on how smart city construction impacts residents' physical activity behavior. Method This paper examines the influence of smart city construction on residents' physical activity behaviors using data from the 2014 to 2020 China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS) and employing the double difference model (DID). Data processing involves removing missing values, trimming outliers, and incorporating control variables at the individual, household, and city levels. Results The study reveals that smart city construction significantly boosts residents' engagement in physical activity. Smart city policies have a notable positive impact on residents' participation in physical activity, and there are discernible differences in how various resident groups respond to physical activity behaviors. The findings on the mediating effect indicate that the built environment, information channels, and enjoyable consumption play crucial mediating roles between smart city policies and residents' physical activity participation. Conclusion Smart city construction directly and indirectly shapes residents' physical activity behavior by enhancing urban infrastructure, broadening information access channels, and fostering enjoyable consumption. In the future, smart city initiatives should prioritize resource distribution balance, enhance infrastructure development in rural and western regions, and further elevate the national fitness level.