Getting kids active by participating in sport and doing It more often: focusing on what matters

Abstract

BackgroundReduced time dedicated to physical education and free play in recent decades emphasizes the need to promote opportunities for sport participation in adolescents in order to increase physical activity levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of sociodemographic and biological characteristics, behavioural patterns, and school-related and sport-specific variables with time spent participating in sport.MethodsA total of 1837 secondary school students (age: 14.6 ± 1.2 years; 50.9 % boys) from 19 of 23 schools in the Otago Region (New Zealand) completed an online sport survey and Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire in 2009. Using multilevel modeling, we examined the association of individual-, school- and sport-related variables on sport participation and the amount of time spent in sports.ResultsHigher rates of sport participation were associated with lower neighbourhood deprivation scores (OR (95%CI): 0.75 (0.49-1.14), 0.57 (0.38-0.86), 0.48 (0.28-0.81)), higher quintiles of physical activity (2.89 (2.10-3.96), 2.81 (1.68-4.70), 3.54 (2.24-5.57), 3.97 (1.99-7.95)), highest quintiles of screen time (1.58 (0.94-2.65), 1.99 (1.42-2.80), 2.17 (1.43-3.30), 1.88 (1.37-2.57)) and boys only school status (2.21 (1.57-3.10)). Greater amount of time spent in sports was associated with male gender (0.56 (0.43-0.74), lower neighbourhood deprivation scores (0.72 (0.59-0.93), 0.78 (0.58-1.04), 0.62 (0.39-1.00)), higher quintiles of physical activity (3.18 (2.29-4.41), 4.25 (2.91-6.20), 8.33 (5.58-12.44), 6.58 (4.07-10.64)), highest quintile of screen time (1.83 (1.31-2.56), greater availability of sports outside school (1.68 (1.22-2.32)), better sport management (2.57 (1.63-4.07)) and provision of sport courts at school (0.57 (0.40-0.81)). Conversely, obesity was associated with less time spent participating in sport (0.50 (0.31-0.80)).ConclusionResults support the use of sport participation as an effective strategy to increase physical activity levels and identify target groups and areas for interventions, program design and policy development. Interventions should focus on improving accessibility to sport programs for all adolescents, providing adequate sport grounds at school, and promoting good sport management practices. Programs and policies encouraging sport participation should address in particular the needs of adolescents living in deprived neighborhoods, those attending coeducational and girls-only schools, and those who are obese.

The Role of Youth Sports in Promoting Children's Physical Activity and Preventing Pediatric Obesity: A Systematic Review

“…9,10,[16][17][18]20,[24][25][26][28][29][30]45,53,54 Among the 17 studies, findings from 7 studies presented odds ratios (OR) to quantify the magnitude of the sport participation and PA relationships 15,16,18,21,23,28,30,53 Only one study indicated no difference in MVPA between a sports program intervention group and control group over time. 19 Precisely, the researchers examined the effectiveness of the Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) program in elementary school children over a 5-month period and found no effect of sport participation on MVPA.…”

“…-30 While both sport settings were related to PA, authors of some studies reported participation in community sports being a stronger predictor of MVPA 28,30. Specifically, Silva and his colleagues suggested that participation in…”

Developing The Competence In Health Protection Of Pedagogical Bachelor Students

“…An important factor why students do not maintain a healthy style is their low socioeconomic status (Geraskina et al, 2016, Mandic et al, 2012, which does not allow choosing advertised in the media http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2017.08.02.17 Corresponding Author: Maria Sazanova Selection and peer-review under…”

Social Geographies at Play: Mapping the Spatial Politics of Community-Based Youth Sport Participation

“…With concern for maximizing the benefits of participating in youth sport programs (YSP), scholars from fields such as education, public health, epidemiology, sociology, and sport management have for decades examined the positive effects of community-level sport initiatives and programs (e.g., Dishman, Heath, & Lee, 2013;Finch & Donaldson, 2010;Hill, 1965;Maxwell & Taylor, 2010;Schulenkorf & Edwards, 2012) and correlates of participating in YSP and positive health outcomes (e.g., Biddle, Mutrie, & Gorely, 2015;Kahn, Thompson, Blair, Sallis, Powell, Bull, & Baumann, 2012;Mandic, Bengoechea, Stevens, de la Barra, & Skidmore, 2012;van der Horst, Paw, Twisk, & Van Mechelen, 2007). Likewise, public policymakers, administrators, and urban and regional planners across the country (and around the world) have endeavored to build sport-specific programming and infrastructure (community centers, parks, field, etc.)…”