Can the integration of sports and health industries drive the upgrade of the sports industry?—An empirical study based on Chinese-style modernization

Background: In the course of China’s modernization, the sports industry’s advancement plays a dual role in enhancing national health and driving economic transformation. The integration and coalescence of the sports and health sectors have emerged as pivotal avenues for the structural elevation of China’s sports industry. Hence, empirically scrutinizing the influential mechanisms and outcomes of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry’s structural enhancement holds substantial practical significance. Method: This study formulates theoretical hypotheses regarding the impact mechanism of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry’s sophisticated industrial structure. Drawing insights from literature review and categorization, three dimensions—industrial integration, government role, and market mechanism—are delineated. Employing panel data spanning 2015 to 2020 from four primary Chinese cities, an econometric model is devised to empirically dissect the influence of sports and health industry integration on the sports industry’s structural advancement. Findings: The three pivotal explanatory variables—integration of sports and health industries, government role, and market mechanism—exert a positive influence on the sports industry’s sophisticated industrial structure. Notably, the impact of market mechanisms outweighs that of government roles, with government roles exhibiting comparatively weaker individual impact effects. Conclusion: The dynamic development process characterizing the structural advancement of China’s sports industry in first-tier cities exhibits positive and sustained developmental traits, with discernible convergence in trends. While market mechanisms demonstrate a more immediate and pronounced direct promotional effect than government roles, the enduring influence of government roles over an extended timeframe is evident from a dynamic long-term development perspective. Building upon these findings, the study suggests relevant stakeholders foster advanced sports industry structures by: refining the integration system of sports and health industries; fortifying the fundamental role of market mechanisms; and fully leveraging the government’s impact in promoting sports and health industry integration.