Willingness-to-pay in physical activity: how much older adults value community-wide initiatives program?

Background: Community-wide initiatives in physical activity (CWIPA) is considered as a best-buy for NCDs prevention. However, despite the ongoing efforts to promote PA, there remains a dearth of comprehensive assessments regarding the return on investment in PA promotion initiatives, including CWIPA.

Purpose: This study investigated local residents’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CWIPA programs in Thailand.

Methods: The contingent valuation method (CVM) using the payment card approach was employed to elicit the WTP of 472 residents aged 45 years and over in selected provinces in which CWIPA programs had been implemented. Respondents were asked to indicate their WTP for the continuous offering of CWIPA by choosing how much they were willing to pay from eight bid-value options, payable through their monthly electricity bills.

Results: The mean WTP of Thai older adults was found to be 72 baht/month (US$2/month) or 868 baht/year (US$25/year). More than half of the sample (54.2%) chose zero as their answer while there was a fairly large variation in other levels of WTP. The WTP was lower among older respondents and those who resided in rural areas, but was higher among those with a history of participation in an organized PA program.

Conclusion: The extent of the variance in WTP indicates different valuations of CWIPA, with a high bid-value indicating satisfaction with the existing program, and also their affordability to purchase participation in the program. Low WTP may indicate dissatisfaction toward the program, disagreement with the payment vehicle, or the low affordability of the community.

Practical implications: The findings should provide valuable information and guidelines for the local and central government in allocating limited resources toward promoting community-based PA, particularly for older adults. Also, to design future interventions tailored to the needs of all community members to ensure inclusivity.

Funding: Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK)