Author(s): ZHU, X., SAWADA, S., HIRAYAMA, R., WANG, D., TSUNEDA, U., TOBINA, T., OKA, K., ISHII, K., KAWAKAMI, R., YOSHIBA, K., YOSHIOKA, N., KAI, Y., ARAO, T., Institution: WASEDA UNIVERSITY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 711

Background
Previous studies have reported higher levels of subjective happiness among individuals who engage in sports spectating. However, evidence remains limited regarding whether large-scale sports infrastructure developments, such as the construction of a new football stadium, lead to improvements in subjective happiness or subjective vitality at the community level.
Purpose
This study examined the longitudinal impact of constructing a new football stadium and establishing it as the home venue of a category 2 professional football team on subjective happiness and subjective vitality among local residents in Japan. Outcomes were compared with those in a demographically similar area hosting a category 2 football team without stadium construction.
Methods
The football stadium opened in October 2024. Internet-based surveys were conducted among residents of two areas using a commercial research panel. Baseline data were collected in October 2024 (n = 1,251), with follow-up in May 2025 (n = 784). A total of 779 participants who completed both surveys and met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Outcomes included subjective happiness and subjective vitality measured using self-reported questionnaires with established reliability and validity. Linear mixed-effects difference-in-differences (DID) models with random intercepts for individuals were used to estimate changes in outcomes associated with stadium construction.
Results
For subjective happiness, the DID estimate was 0.099 (95% CI: −0.006 to 0.205, p = 0.065), indicating a small positive change in the stadium-construction area relative to the control area, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. For subjective vitality, the DID estimate was 0.402 (95% CI: −0.204 to 1.010, p = 0.194), indicating no statistically significant change.
Conclusions
The construction of a new football stadium was not associated with clear improvements in residents’ subjective happiness or subjective vitality during the short-term follow-up period. These findings suggest that large-scale football infrastructure development alone may be insufficient to enhance population-level subjective happiness and vitality. One possible explanation for the lack of a clear association between the construction of a new football stadium and improvements in residents’ subjective happiness or subjective vitality is that baseline data were collected immediately after the stadium opening. Accordingly, future research may benefit from initiating surveys at an earlier stage.