Community size and sport participation across 22 countries

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine, across 22 countries, the association between community size and individual sport, team sport, and exercise participation. Hierarchal non-linear Bernoulli modeling is used to examine the association between community size (100,000-10,000; <10,000) and (a) individual sport, (b) team sport, and (c) exercise participation. After controlling for country-level clustering and demographic variables, those residing a community with between 100,000 and 10,000 residents are more likely to participate in individual sport [odds ratio (OR) = 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.23] while residing in a community with less than 10,000 residents is unrelated (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 0.96-1.19). Those residing in communities with between 100,000 and 10,000 residents were more likely to participate in team sport (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.01-1.45) while residing in a community with less than 10,000 residents is unrelated (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.88-1.18). Residing in a community with between 100,000 and 10,000 residents is unrelated to exercise participation (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.89-1.7), while residing in a community with less than 10,000 residents is negatively related to exercise participation (OR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.79-0.93). These findings provide novel evidence that communities between 100,000 and 10,000 residents are related to increased sport participation, particularly team sport participation.

Sports Participation and Health Care Costs in Older Adults Aged 50 Years or Older

“…For example, an Australian survey reported that less (Eime et al, 2016). While age is known to be negatively associated with PA (Balish, Rainham, & Blanchard, 2015;Eime et al, 2016;Fernandes & Zanesco, 2010); we found no evidence of a decrease in sports participation over the follow-up period.…”

Sport participation: From policy, through facilities, to users’ health, well-being, and social capital

“…Household composition and specifically having active children in the household increases participation but having children who are not active and are under the age of 6 decrease participation, particularly among single parents (Scheerder & Vos, 2011;. Those who are native to the country of residence (Breuer, Hallmann, & Wicker, 2011;Ruseski, Humphreys, Hallmann, & Breuer, 2011) and those who work at the managerial level and above show higher sport participation rates than their counterparts (Stamm & Lamprecht, 2011;, while people living in urban areas show higher participation levels than those living in rural areas (Garcia, Lera-Lopez, & Suarez, 2011;Balish, Rainham, & Blanchard, 2015). However, recent empirical evidence from Australia suggests the opposite relationship (Eime, Harvey, Charity & Payne, 2016).…”

Group exercise for adults and elderly: Determinants of participation in group exercise and its associations with health outcome

“…A cross-sectional study of Australians aged 15 and older showed that participation in many team sports increased as socio-economic status decreased and geographical remoteness increased 42) . Regarding environmental factors, those who live in communities with between 10,000 and 100,000 residents were more likely to participate in team sports than those who live in communities with more than 100,000 residents 43) . As for neighborhood safety, those who perceived neighborhood social safety participated in sports at indoor sports clubs more often than those who did not 44) .…”