Empirical analysis of socioeconomic factors affecting sports activities in three countries : US, France, and Japan

Recent studies have revealed that sporting activities can improve people's physical and psychological well-being. The ways in which people live daily life have been changing, reflecting technological development, which has produced more sedentary employment. Therefore, the importance of physical activity for people's health has been growing. For this study, we used individual data from a nationwide internet survey that examined daily sport activities in three economically developed countries: the US, France, and Japan. We investigated important socioeconomic factors that influence their participation. By comparing the estimation results of a probit model, we analyzed trends in the three countries. Results revealed similar and different socioeconomic factors affecting sports participation frequency in the three countries. In the US and France, adults aged 20-59 years old tend to do sporting activities more. By contrast, elderly Japanese people tend to do sports more actively than others. Moreover, high education attainment, high income, and good customs for health are positively correlated with the level of sport activity. Geographical and cultural characteristics can affect the popularity of sports activities.