The Influence of Public Expenditure on Sports Services and Goods on Private Consumption and Sedentary Behaviour in European Countries

The objectives of this study were (i) to examine the influence of public expenditure on sports services and goods on private consumption and (ii) to assess whether the prevalence of sedentary behaviour could be predicted by public expenditure in sports, taking into account educational level, and sex differences in European countries. Data from 27 European countries were used; one additional country was included for objective (i) (n=29) and three for objective (ii) (n=30). A Pearson bivariate correlation and a distributed lag model were used to examine the relationship between public expenditure and private consumption, with GDP per capita included as a control variable. Additionally, multiple linear regression models were applied to predict sedentary behaviour based on GDP, educational level, and sex. Results showed a strong positive correlation between public expenditure and private consumption (r=0.846–0.922, p<0.001). The lagged model, including public expenditure over five years and GDP per capita, explained more than 75% of the variance in private sports consumption. GDP per capita predicted sedentary behaviour in over 44.3% of cases across medium, high, and total education groups. Public expenditure was also a significant predictor in selected subgroups, particularly in the total education group and among women.