The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults' perceived health and well-being according to different types of participation in sport and physical activity by gender and region. A survey was implemented during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Australia (June 2020) and information collected on demographics, sport and physical activity patterns pre-COVID-19, and health and well-being outcomes during lockdown and compared to 1 year earlier. During COVID-19 lockdown, older adults who participated in both club sport and informal activities had significantly better general health, physical health, and resilience than those who participated solely in a single setting. Those participating in both team and individual activities reported better general well-being. Older adults who were active in a range of settings and modes had improved health and well-being. Social support is especially important for older adults to become and remain active.
Abstract Background: Australia like many developed countries is largely an inactive nation. Participation in sport, a form of leisure-time physical activity, can contribute to a range of individual and community health benefits. National sport policy often has a dual focus on population-based participation, and elite performance. Whist there are various sport models depicting the pathway to elite, there has been no strategic population-level sport participation pathway model developed as a guide towards increasing sport participation across the lifespan. The aim of this study therefore is to explore sport participation across the lifespan and develop a neutral model that does not favour community or elite sport and that highlights the critical participation transition points including drop-out. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis of sport participation records for 8 major sports from 2015-2017, whereby individual participation within sports was tracked from 2015 and subsequent years 2016 and 2017. Results: The total number of participants analysed was 579,696. In 2017, port participation rates were highest for those aged 10-14 years (61.3%), followed by those children within the 5-9 year age group (51.7%). However, 44.7% of all participants dropped out within two years of the base year. From these participation rates across the lifespan in conjunction with the published literature, on sport policy and participation, we developed the Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM). The SPPM depicts current sport participation and in doing so emphasises the significant drop-out of sport across the lifespan. Conclusion: At a population level, competitive club-based sport alone is not going to solve the physical inactivity epidemic. Our SPPM, and the new (retention related) data presented in this paper, demonstrates the population trends in participation in sport and the high drop-out of competitive club-based sport. We suggest that for people to (eventually) become active sport participants, the (recruitment) narrative could be changed towards (first) engaging people in leisure time physical activities. We feel that this can only be done by developing an integrated policy system across the PA-sport spectrum rather than looking at sport participation in a closed (club-based) system. The SPPM can be used to developing a more integrated PA-Sport participation model.
In recent decades, the evidence supporting the physical and mental health benefits of holistic movement practices such as yoga and t'ai chi have become increasingly established. Consequently, investigating the participation prevalence and patterns of these practices is a relevant pursuit in the public health field. Few studies have provided population-level assessment of participation rates, however, and even fewer have focused on patterns over time. The purpose of this study was to examine participation prevalence and trends in yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong over a ten-year period in a nationally representative sample of Australians aged 15 years and over, with particular attention to sex and age. A secondary purpose was to juxtapose these findings with participation trends in traditional fitness activities over the same period.Data comprised modes and types of physical activity, age, and sex variables collected through the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), a series of independent cross-sectional Australia-wide surveys conducted yearly between 2001 and 2010. For each year, weighted population estimates were calculated for those participating in yoga/Pilates, t'ai chi/qigong, and fitness activities (e.g. aerobics, calisthenics). Linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine trends in prevalence rates over time and differences among sex and age (15-34; 35-54; 55+ years) groups, respectively.Average prevalence rates between 2001 and 2010 were 3.0% (95% CI 2.9-3.1) for yoga/Pilates, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.6) for t'ai chi/qigong, and 19.2% (95% CI 18.9-19.4) for fitness activities. Across the decade, overall participation rates remained relatively stable for yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong, while increasing linearly for fitness activities. For both genders and in all three age groups, participation in fitness activities increased, whereas only in the 55+ age group was there a significant increase in yoga/Pilates participation; participation in t'ai chi/qigong declined significantly in the two younger age groups.Participation rates in yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong in Australia were low and relatively stable. As fitness activities increased in popularity across the decade, holistic movement practices did not. These findings point to the need to investigate activity-specific barriers and facilitators to participation, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and environmental factors.
Understanding participation in sport is important for sport policy, strategy and management. Most research regarding participation in sport report general trends in participation rates. However, as societies trends in leisure-time activities are changing, we need to also understand the settings of sport participation. The aim of this study was to investigate the settings of sport participation of children and adults across 13 major sports in Victoria, Australia. This study utilised data about sport participation collected in the AusPlay survey from a representative sample of adults and children in Victoria, Australia. For each of the 13 sports, the settings of participation were identified for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Respondents can report participation in a particular activity in more than one setting. Therefore, we use the term "instance of participation" to refer to a person playing a particular sport in a particular setting. We calculated the weighted frequencies and prevalences pertaining to sport participation instances in each setting. In 2022 compared to 2020, overall participation was 1.1% higher for children and 1.2% higher for adults. For children and adults, the most popular sport for each year was swimming. In 2022, the next most popular sports for children were Australian football, basketball, gymnastics and soccer, and for adults' tennis, basketball, golf and Australian football. For children, approximately half of participation took place within a sports club or association setting (56-60%). For adults, approximately one third of participation took place within a sports club or association setting (36%). Much of the adult participation took place in non-organised settings. The largest increases in participation in clubs and associations in 2022 compared to 2020 for children was for, hockey, soccer, gymnastics, and Australian football. The adult participation in sports clubs or associations did not fair as well, with 8 sports decreasing the proportion of participation in this setting. As a society, we continue to evolve in how we consume participation in sport, and sport policy, infrastructure and opportunities to play need to be directed towards those particular settings and modes of delivery of sport where and how individuals want to play.
There have been increased opportunities for women and girls to play traditionally male-dominated sports. However, we do not know the impact of these opportunities on participation. The study aim was to investigate the changing sport participation trends of women and girls, and in particular the increasing rates of participation in traditional male-dominated sports. Australian community-level registered sport participant data from five sports (three male-dominated, one female-dominated, and one gender-neutral) was tracked over the three years 2016–2018. There were 513,270 participants in year 1, 160,178 female and 353,092 male. Over the three years there was considerable increase in number of female participants, a rise of 15,646, compared to a decrease of 13,397 in male participants. The study shows that in year 1 (2016), women and girls in the male-dominated sports were most likely 'new' to sport and not transitioning from other sports. Of women and girls transitioning into male-dominated sports many came from playing the female-only sport. In all years, many women and girls transitioned from female-only sport to male-dominated sports, reflecting increased opportunity and choices. However, men and boys more likely to be retained. The female transition trends raise the need for further growth and development strategies by the female-only sport, but also capacity and gender issues for the male-dominated sports. More broadly, sport organisations should consider retention strategies across both genders and age groups, as male retention rates still remain higher than female retention rates, and there remains a large drop-off in participation during adolescence.
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