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The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children

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  • Jan Marcus
  • Thomas Siedler
  • Nicolas R. Ziebarth

Abstract

Starting in 2009, the German state of Saxony distributed sports club membership vouchers among all 33,000 third graders in the state. The policy’s objective was to encourage them to develop a long-term habit of exercising. In 2018, we carried out a large register-based survey among several cohorts in Saxony and two neighboring states. Our difference-in-differences estimations show that, even after a decade, awareness of the voucher program was significantly higher in the treatment group. We also find that youth received and redeemed the vouchers. However, we do not find significant short- or long-term effects on sports club membership, physical activity, overweightness, or motor skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Marcus & Thomas Siedler & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2021. "The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1133, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp1133
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    Cited by:

    1. Bacon, Felix & Bello, Abdel-Hamid & Brown, Myriam & Morris, Todd & Renée, Laëtitia, 2023. "Successful Replication of "The Long-Run Effects of Sports Club Vouchers for Primary School Children (2022)"," I4R Discussion Paper Series 46, The Institute for Replication (I4R).
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    3. Diarmaid Ó Ceallaigh & Kirsten I.M. Rohde & Hans van Kippersluis, 2024. "Skipping your workout, again? Measuring and understanding time inconsistency in physical activity," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-028/V, Tinbergen Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    physical activity; voucher; primary school; obesity; habit formation; objective health measures; school health examinations; windfall gains; crowd-out; taxpayer subsidies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • Z28 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Policy
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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