{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T18:00:01Z","timestamp":1790791201613,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790726400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The relationship between sports participation and psychological well-being is well-documented, yet empirical evidence regarding the moderating role of community sports facilities remains inconclusive. This study tests whether facilities amplify or attenuate the well-being returns to exercise, using four-wave panel data from China (CFPS 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Linear regression models with individual fixed effects were constructed using China Family Panel Studies data (CFPS 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2022; the 2016 wave was excluded because its happiness item reached only 2.5% of adults). The analytical sample comprised 71,326 observations from 23,818 individuals. Self-rated happiness (0\u221210 scale) was regressed on binary exercise participation, community sports facility count (0\u22125+), and their interaction, controlling for age and log household income. Robustness was tested via instrumental variable estimation (community mean exercise rate) and propensity score matching.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Exercise positively predicted happiness (\u03b2\u2009=\u2009+0.074, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001) in the baseline fixed-effects model. The exercise\u2009\u00d7\u2009facility interaction was directionally consistent with the substitution hypothesis but not statistically significant (\u03b2\u2009=\u2009\u22120.022, p\u2009=\u20090.075). Marginal exercise effects declined from +0.095 in zero-facility communities (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001) to non-significance where three or more facility types were available. Instrumental variable estimation results (first-stage F\u2009=\u20093231.25; second-stage \u03b2\u2009=\u2009\u22120.158, p\u2009=\u20090.117). The IV estimate did not reach statistical significance, providing limited evidence on treatment effect heterogeneity. Four-wave balanced panel estimates confirmed the baseline finding (\u03b2\u2009=\u2009+0.074, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.01). CES-D mediation accounted for only approximately 4.6% of the total effect.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Exercise benefits subjective well-being most where community sports facilities are least available\u2014a directionally consistent substitution pattern. Facility investment may yield greater marginal returns when targeted at underserved communities.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0359511","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:50:31Z","timestamp":1790790631000},"page":"e0359511","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sports facilities as substitutes for exercise-induced well-being: Evidence from four-wave CFPS panel data"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0669-1044","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yang","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Jinan","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liman","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Urban Construction Vocational College","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0359511.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(18)30511-X","article-title":"Prevalence of mental disorders in China: A cross-sectional epidemiological study","volume":"6","author":"Y Huang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0359511.ref002","author":"General Administration of Sport of China","year":"2015"},{"key":"pone.0359511.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychires.2016.02.023","article-title":"Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias","volume":"77","author":"FB Schuch","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Psychiatr Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0359511.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mhpa.2009.01.002","article-title":"Lessons in exercise neurobiology: The case of endorphins","volume":"2","author":"RK Dishman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Mental Health and Physical Activity"},{"key":"pone.0359511.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/sms.12581","article-title":"Exercise as medicine - evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases","author":"BK Pedersen","year":"2015","journal-title":"Scand J Med Sci Sports"},{"key":"pone.0359511.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315648569","author":"C Haslam","year":"2018","journal-title":"The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure. 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