The Peer Effect in Promoting Physical Activity among Adolescents: Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey

For a long time, studies on the peer effect of physical activity among adolescents have focused on relevance rather than causality. This article provides empirical evidence of the peer effect of physical activity among adolescents using data from the China Education Panel Survey. The results show that the peer effect increases physical activity by about 6.757–8.984 min per week among classmates, a finding consistent with previous studies. Using the instrumental variable approach and considering the potential missing variables, the peer effect increases physical activity by 23.923–27.410 min per week, representing a threefold increase. In addition, the general attitude towards sports in class plays a significantly influential role, accounting for 20% of the peer effect of physical activity.