Empirical Analysis of Time Poverty and Health-Related Activities in Japan

Many results of empirical studies suggest that people who actively engage in physical activities are more likely to show better health status and well-being. Household income is also an important factor in determining the level of a person’s health because lower income often acts as a barrier in accessing resources that enhance health. Nevertheless, some recent studies have revealed that not only low income, but also lack of time used for family life will engender higher risks of illness, partly because the probability of participating in physical activities, such as sports decreases. This study specifically examined relations between income and time poverty, and daily health-related activities including physical activities and poor health habits. We used a nationwide internet household survey in Japan conducted in 2012 with 6491 respondents aged 20–79 (80.5% response rate), sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). From the estimation results obtained using econometric models, we observed that time poverty at a household level was highly associated with short-duration sleeping of the household member. Indeed, we observed different results for women and men. For men, individuals who fell into the lack of living time category might be prevented from actively engaging in sports, while getting less sleep. For women, both income and time poverty tended to depend on alcohol consumption behavior. We point out that government must increase policy support for households who confront difficult circumstances of time poverty and income poverty.